Starnapped: A SVTFOE Story
by SaltyLoaf
Summary: Marco is now living in the Butterfly Castle after the defeat of Toffee. It had been weeks since he had moved there, excited about his new life. However, much to his dismay, one night, she disappears. The room shows sign of a struggle, which could only mean one thing: she was taken. Where could she have gone? Who is responsible? And, most of all, how will he get her back?
1. Starnapped: Chapter 1 - The Realization

" _Thank the lord, it is finally time for bed"_ Marco thought to himself as he pulled out his drawer that kept his many pairs of the same pajamas. " _I wonder if Star is asleep yet. I should probably go to check on her, I am supposed to look after her after all."_ he thought as he slipped into his blue pajama pants. Star had been surprising quiet that night. She went up to her room around seven o'clock to "practice spells", but everyone really knew she would just practice a few and then pass out from exhaustion. Just the thought of seeing Star half asleep, face into a book made Marco smile and giggle. _She looks so adorable when she's asleep._ The sudden comment his mind produced shocked Marco. " _I'm not supposed to call my best friend adorable."_ he reminded himself as thoughts of Star and her feelings towards him flew through his brain. He shook the thoughts away and reminded himself of his mission. _I need to check on Star._

Marco slipped his pajama shirt over his head and opened up his bedroom door. He walked down the hallway to the door of his best friend. He was about to knock when he felt a breeze from under the doorway. " _Star never leaves her window open."_ Marco thought to himself as his mind filled with worry. " _What if something happened to her? Is she ok?"_ Marco screamed in his head as he forced himself to quietly open the door. His heart sank.

The bed was messy and empty, which by itself was normal. Star was not very organized anyway. But as he scanned the room he discovered small drops of blood scattered randomly across the room. There must have been a struggle. Marco gasped with horror as he spotted an empty syringe lying on the balcony, the curtains surrounding it flowing in the wind.

Marco fell to his knees as a single tear escaped his eye, followed by two solid streams from each. He had failed. He was assigned to protect Star, be her companion, her guidance, and now she was gone. And it was all his fault.

Everything was dark. Star tried to move her arms, but they seemed to chained to some sort of hard surface. This realization filled her with fear. " _Where am I? Where is my family? Are they safe? Where is Marco!"_

"Don't struggle dearest, it will only make you more tired." spoke an unknown voice from the darkness. Star shook off her fear and spoke confidently into the unknown. "What do you want with me? I don't have my wand if that's what you are after." she spat, jerking her head around searching for the source of the voice. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot the light." spoke the voice as Star heard a snap in the distance. In an instant, Star could see again.

She seemed to be in an old, rundown cabin, which shocked her. She thought someone who had the nerve to capture a princess would at least tidy up a bit first. Her thoughts were quickly torn away from her surroundings as her captor stepped out from behind a wooden pole. Star's face filled with horror and disgust.

"Eclipsa." she whispered, barely able to speak out of shock.

"Yes dearest, it's really me. How about you come and give your old ancestor a hug?" she teased with a grin across her face. Soon after she said that though, the clasps around Star's wrists unlocked, leaving her free. Believing that the unlocking was just a brief error, Star took the opportunity to sprint at her captor with all the energy left inside her at that time. Her mind was clouded with anger as she quickly approached Eclipsa, a smile still plastered on her pale face. But then, suddenly, the evil queen flicked her wrist in the hair, and Star stopped in her tracks.

"You really thought it would be that easy? You are hilarious, Star. Now, let me say this again. Come and give me a hug." stated Eclipsa calmly, an evil grin constantly covering her pale, emotionless face. And just like that, Star was moving again. But not by her own accord. Star's body was waltzing closer to her old, creepy ancestor, arms out stretched, while Star's mind desperately tried to resist. " _How is she controlling me? And why can't I fight back! I can beat an invincible lizard with a single blow, but I can't fight my old grandmother?"_ Star complained to herself, finally giving up on trying to resist her ancestors strong magic.

Dark thoughts filled her mind as she slowly crossed the room, depressing, sad thoughts. She really was helpless. Unworthy of such good friends. Unworthy of someone like Marco. As each thought quickly crossed her mind, Star felt tears building up in the back of her eyes, but quickly fought them back as she finally reached her awaiting captor.

"Now that's better. Now as flattered as I am that you so easily gave into my magic, I must ask you to sit back down." remarked the dark queen, flipping her wrist in a strange pattern. Just as Star began to study the pattern, she was flown across the room, right into the stone slab she was previously bound to. And with a short groan, she passed out.


	2. Starnapped: Chapter 2 - A Motive

As Marco kneeled there in the room of his missing friend, tears continued to run down his tan cheeks, drenching the floor beneath him with his sadness and guilt. I'm _worthless. I don't deserve to be living here, in a castle so large and wondrous. I don't deserve to have someone like Star._ Marco was quickly descending into a seemingly endless whirl of guilt, his mind racing with constant negativity towards his own actions. He imagined the pain Star was in, how scared she must be, which only made him feel more guilty. It was only then, when he snapped out of it.

If he truly did care for Star, he wouldn't be moping in a room thinking about her. He would be taking action. Marco marched over to Star's closet in search of something of her's to carry with him on his quest. He settled on her devil headband laying on the very top shelf of her closet, as if she was trying to hide it from intruders. But Marco was no intruder. He placed the headband over his messy hair and marched down the curved steps to find the King and Queen. Only they could understand the pain he was in.

They were not very hard to find. In fact, they were still eating their dinner when Marco, tear marks still staining his face, entered into the room. "Well hello, Marco! What is wrong?" asked River, shoving half of a chicken into his mouth as he spoke. "Star has been kidnapped." Marco croaked, tears building up in the back of his eyes just from the thought.

The expression on Moon's face changed from anger to sadness to fear in less than a few seconds, leaving her paralyzed with a mix of the three emotions. River, however was a much different story. "Well, my boy, let's go find her! I'm sure she is doing just fine, she's quite bright that girl! How about we start with her room, maybe we can find some clues there." River spoke, his true leadership instinct shining through as he confidently walked up the curved staircase to his daughter's vacant room, Moon and Marco following close behind.

Star slowly opened up her heavy eyes, still covered in bruises and scratches from before. " _How long have I been out?"_ she asked herself, perhaps somehow hoping that she would receive a response. Looking around her, it seemed like she was still in the exact spot she last remembered being in, propped against a wall in an old wooden cabin. She took this time to observe her surroundings, for her captor was nowhere to be seen.

The walls of the cabin seemed very old and unstable, like they could fall over at any moment. The flooring was pure concrete with very small cracks in the otherwise perfectly smooth ground, which explained why the ground beneath her was so cold. After her previous incident, she did not appear to have been strapped back down, leaving Star free from all bindings and restraints. Noticing this, she stood up to further investigate her surroundings. The building, upon further inspection, seemed like more of a shack than a cabin, with the inside being rather compact. The pole that Eclipsa herself had stepped out from before was not as far off as it appeared to be the first time she saw it. Maybe she was still delusional from when she had been taken the night before. Or at least it seemed like it was the night before. How long had it really been since she had seen her family? Her friends? Marco? Would she ever get to see them again? Just as Star was beginning to tear up from the thoughts of her old life, she heard a distant snap. In a mere moment, in front of her stood the dark queen herself, that sickly smile still plastered across her face.

"Well it's nice to see that you are awake. Would you like some tea?" asked the ancestor, waving her hand into yet another pattern. Star heard a short "pop" sound and a cup of tea appeared in her hand. Still hot.

"Stop messing around granny, why have you really brought me here? Most people want me for my wand, but I'm sure you've got enough magic already. So what's your game? Your motive? Hm?" Star interrogated, taking a sip of the tea after she had finished. It tasted surprisingly good.

"Now, now Star, I have no intention of hurting you. I just knew that capturing you would be the only way I could get to your mother. A little ransom can really put people at your mercy, you know?" stated Eclipsa calmly, sipping from her own cup of hot tea.

"If you are after my mom, it won't be so easy. She's very strategic and smart, she wouldn't be stupid enough to fall for your trap." Star spat, turning away from the woman in disgust. " _My mother may be loving, but she is not stupid. She knows what Eclipsa is capable of. She wouldn't just charge in here alone to save me. Right?"_ she quietly thought to herself, sitting back down against the stone slab she had been at before.

"If you are worried about her coming in by herself, don't worry. I'm sure that Marco boy with come as well." Star spat out her tea in shock, dropping the teacup onto the ground.

"Don't you dare drag Marco into this! He doesn't deserve to have to go through the trouble of finding me here. And why would you care about him anyway? He has nothing to do with my mother!" Star cried out, her mind suddenly flooding with worry. Her mother could certainly handle herself here on Mewnie, she had been for years. But Marco had only been here a couple weeks. He had no idea what he was getting into!

"Even if him coming here is unwise, people will do anything for love." spoke the mysterious woman, snapping her fingers to clean up the mess that Star had made. "And please, don't drop my precious teacups. They were very hard to get you know."

"I couldn't care less about your damn teacups, but what did you say before?" Star asked, her mind now flowing with curiosity of what the ancient had to say. If she truly did not wish to hurt her, at least Star could maybe get some useful information out of her. Even some advice.

"Are you really that clueless? He asked to live with you for god's sake, just to protect you. You really think that's because you are just best friends? I have been frozen in crystal for 300 years and even I understand such a simple pattern. Maybe before you run off almost killing yourself fighting monsters, you should get in touch with your own feelings. Maybe you could learn something." Eclipsa teased, getting up from her spot on the ground. "Now if you excuse me, I have business to attend to."

Star had already tuned out of the conversation before the fugitive could finish her sentence, her mind preventing her from listening any further out of shock. " _Was she right? Did Marco actually care about me in that way?"_ Star questioned, her mind slowly starting to start up again. " _No. It can't be true. Marco is my best friend, and nothing more. Plus, even if it were true, Jackie would be devastated! She was already in shock after I confessed at the party. Her whole world would fall apart if we were… together. Just like mine did when they were."_ Star finished, her mind decided. She must put off these emotions for now. She had worse things to worry about. "Wait, where are you going? I'm not done with you yet! You still haven't told me what you wanted from us!" Star cried out, desperate for answers.

"Oh nothing much. Just the kingdom of Mewnie." spoke the evil queen calmly, smirking as she tore a hole in the dimensional rift with her own pair of scissors, leaving a horrified Star behind to ponder her thoughts.


	3. Starnapped: Chapter 3 - Dip Down

As Marco walked silently up the steps to Star's bedroom, his mind was once again flooded with questions. " _Who could possibly have the power to take Star Butterfly, princess of Mewnie, from her own bedroom? It couldn't be Toffee, he was dead. It couldn't be Ludo, because not only was he incompetent, but he was also still floating around in the void for all we know. But who else could possibly do something like this? And why Star?"_ Marco was so lost in his thoughts, he almost walked straight into the wall beside Star's bedroom instead of the doorway. Quickly realising his mistake, Marco, flustered, lightly crept into the bedroom, trying not to disturb any of the possible evidence.

The room was exactly as he had left it, blood scattered around the room in seemingly random spots. River's face turned from his normal confident expression to sudden worry as he glanced around the room. However, soon after the expression on his face had changed, he changed back to his normal self, as if he was trying to hide his fears from his comrades. "Well, this may seem bad, but I'm sure we can find something useful in here!" River reassured, as if he was more trying to convince himself rather than the others.

The trio searched for hours on end, double-checking every possible corner of the bedroom until it seemed there was no hope left in the world. Star seemed to have been lost forever. Moon had already hung her head in defeat after the first half an hour, having to walk out into the hall just to talk herself back into submission. River asked if he could help, but she refused, saying that this was a mental battle she needed to tackle alone. This left only River and Marco in the room. However, River was slowly starting to lose hope as well. He kept asking Marco if he still believed in him, and if they would really ever see his daughter again. Each depressing thought that came out of the king's mouth further broke the heart of poor Marco, still trying to convince himself that none of this was his fault.

Another ten minutes passed and River couldn't take the pain anymore. "Marco my boy, as much as I love my daughter, I don't think that we will be finding her again any time soon." he croaked tears building up in his eyes as he plopped down on the floor. The man that seemed to always have hope, always had confidence, had officially broken. And Marco seemed to be quickly approaching that line of madness as well. But just as Marco was about to sigh in defeat, he heard the sound of a dimensional rift opening behind him. Before he could even turn around to assess his new visitor, he heard a voice coming from the same direction. "Well hello there deary."

Star's mouth was still gaping in response to the words that had just left the queen's mouth. " _Nothing much. Just the Kingdom of Mewnie."_ Just repeating those same words over and over again in her brain gave her shivers down her spine, thinking of what horrible things she could do to her kingdom if she gained control. "What would she do to our legacy, our people, our family! And what of Marco _?"_ she thought outloud, glad that she was finally alone to discuss her thoughts. "He may not be royalty, but he is very close to us. And if Eclipsa's plan was to destroy all traces of the current royal family, then she would have to kill Marco too!" yelled Star, her worry now causing her to chew her fingernails viciously.

Minutes passed as Star worried to herself, now in complete silence. She needed something to calm her down. Something to keep her sane. She scanned the room quickly in search of something soothing to focus her mind on. It was then, when it hit her. She may not have her wand on her, but maybe she could summon it to her. She already knew how to "dip down" and use magic without her wand, so maybe if she could focus hard enough she could summon her wand to her side! Then, with that magic, she could break herself out of this depressing cage of dark emotions.

Using all the strength left inside of her, Star attempted to summon forth her magic. Her thought about her family, her comrades, Marco, channeling all her emotions together in her mind. She remembered what her mother said to her all that time ago, " _In order to dip down, you must summon everything you've got."_ And she was doing just that. All of her worries, her hardships, her best moments, needed to be concentrated into one, enormous spell. As Star began to focus more deeply on her emotions, she started to slowly rise up from the ground, all of her aches and pains fading away for a short instant. A blue glow began to emit from the now levitating princess, her blonde hair flowing as if in water. And now for the final step.

" _With all the power bestowed upon me, from every corner of Earth and Sea. I summon forth a concentrated power, one so strong it could crush any tower. To finish off this simple task, is all of you I can bear to ask."_ The words seemed to flow from her mouth as if she had known them all her life, her eyes now bearing a pale white glow. Meanwhile, many miles away, the spell was taking it's course.

The precious wand of the now captured princess was slowly shaking on her bedside table, increases its speed by every passing second. Moments passed and the wand was starting to rise up into the air and emit the same glow as the princess herself. The light was slowly growing brighter and brighter, the wand now spinning in the air. It spun faster and faster, until it finally vanished, leaving Marco staring in awe. He knew there was only one person who could have possibly done such a thing to his best friend's wand. Star herself. Just the thought made him jump for joy. " _Thank god, she was safe"_.

The wand had reappeared in the awaiting grasp of the glowing Star, which soon after its appearance started to drain the emotional energy from its host. The light began to fade at a rapid rate, and she was slowly descending towards the ground, still oblivious to what had just happened. In many ways, Star was not present in her body at that time. She was lost inside her own mind. Only when she finally reached the ground completely, face towards the ground, did she awaken from her trance. With a short "gasp" she was back.

"Where am I? What happened?" Star asked herself, perhaps expecting an answer from the building itself. However, just as she was about to repeat her question, she noticed the solid object now in her right hand. "Holy corn, it worked!" squealed the excited teen, amazed with her own magic. Maybe she could get used to using her magic like this more often. It felt good to not be dependent on her wand. Sadly, just as quickly as her worries had left her, they returned in a tidal wave. A tsunami of emotions, threatening to pull Star under to a point of no return.

Star buried her head in her hands, begging her mind stop. There was only one hope left for her. The wand. Using the remaining love in her heart she called out a familiar phrase. "Narwhal Blast!" A collection of small, cute narwhals hit against the wall. Star felt a bit better, but not normal. She called out another. "Rainbow Fist Punch!" And another. "Bunny Rabbit Blast!". Nothing seemed to be working.

Throwing her wand down in defeat, Star slid down the pole nearest to her until she reached the ground and pulled out her phone. At least she had pictures of her life on Earth to comfort her. She flipped through her phone's camera roll, smiling and giggling as she remembered all the fun times Star had had with Marco over that year. It seemed like so long ago now. Star yawned as she sifted through the pictures, her mind suddenly reminded of her previous exhaustion. Hours passed as her mind gradually filled itself back up with happy memories. At least there was one positive thing left in this world. Finally after she reached the last photo, Star stretched and yawned, laying her head down against the cold, hard, ground as if it was a pillow. Maybe tomorrow would be better.


	4. Starnapped: Chapter 4 - A Deal

Marco's mind was still racing from what had occurred only moments before. Star's wand had just… vanished. How could she possibly use magic that strong without the use of her wand? She must have gained an immense amount of magical strength after her rundown with Toffee, unless she has always been this strong. But that couldn't be possible…

"Excuse me? Did you forget about me?" spoke the mysterious voice from before, her voice now riddled with hints of annoyance. Marco was quickly pulled away from his thoughts as his previous fears returned to him. There was still an unknown being standing directly behind him. With a short gulp and a silent prayer, he slowly turned himself around, only to be filled with confusion by what he saw.

"Who are you?"the boy whispered, his curiosity finally overtaking his fear.

"My name is not important. All you need to know is that I'm the one that took your little friend here." she remarked with a grin as she began to wave her hand in a mysterious motion. "But if you really must know, I am the one they call Eclipsa."

Marco's emotion suddenly turned to pure anger as he quickly rose up from his spot on the floor and broke into a sprint. If he was going to get Star back, he needed to show this sickly woman that he meant business. Violent, violent, business. But, just as quickly as the pursuit had begun, it was stopped dead in it's tracks.

Marco was now floating mid-air, his fist hovering just inches away from Eclipsa's skull. "Now that is no way to treat your guest. Luckily, I knew you would do that, so I prepared a spell just for the occasion." with a snap and a smirk, Marco was back where he started on the floor, his brain still trying to comprehend what had just happened. He tried to move his legs to stand up again but it was as if he was glued to the ground below him. She had frozen him in place.

"Now I can talk business. Where is Moon?" questioned the enchantress, her eyes searching around the room as she spoke.

"I'm right here." spat the Queen from behind her dark ancestor. "And what have you done with my daughter?"

"Don't worry your little royal head, your daughter is fine. But that is not my point. I am here to discuss a deal with you. A ransom, you could call it. Unless, of course, you don't ever want to see your daughter again." her mouth twisting into a grimace as she explained.

Tears began to build up in the back of her eyes as Moon negotiated the terms in her mind. On one hand, the deal could bring back her daughter, which of course was her highest priority, and she knew that Eclipsa would hold up her end of the bargain. But then, on the other hand, last time she accepted a deal with the powerful queen it released her from captivity in the first place. Only god knows what horrible things she would do to the kingdom if she had the Queen of Mewnie at her fingertips. But sadly, Moon had no choice. "What is your proposal?"

"The deal is simple. I give you back your daughter, and you hand over the crown. Decline, and I kill her. The choice is yours. If you need proof, I will allow you to call her so you know I haven't harmed her. Yet. If you accept my offer, come to the Forest of Certain Death tomorrow at dawn. I will await your response."

Moments passed in silence as Moon and Marco stared in shock. Satisfied at their response, Eclipsa snapped her fingers and pulled out her scissors, stating "My work here is done" as she waltzed back into the portal from which she came. After she had left, only one thing was left to say. "We have to warn Star."

Star was in an ocean. An ocean of darkness that is. Waves of mysterious liquid threatened to pull her under, pushing her farther and farther away from the shore. She was gasping for air, preparing herself for the inevitable. She knew it was coming. She just didn't know when.

It was then when the voices started. "Destroy it." "Poor Butterfly. You've lost your wings." "Goodbye." The voices grew louder and louder, increasing in numbers by every passing second. In the waves ahead of her something became to rise up, taking the shape of different body parts. " _No no no. Not again. Not again!"_ The sea did not listen to her pleas. First came an eye. Then one arm. Then the other. The body continued to build up until there was a huge monster head poking out of the sea. "Well hello. Princess."

Star knew what was next. She begged her mind to let her stop, but it was too late. The liquid around her started to rise, encasing her in a cylinder of darkness. Star took a deep breath just as the cylinder began to collapse, bringing her down with it. She saw the gold once again in the ooze, like a firefly in the darkness of the night sky. Just as she began to swim towards it, she heard yet another voice. "Star." She ignored it. But it kept repeating, gradually getting louder and louder, the area around her beginning to shake from the force. "Star!" The last word surprised her so much, that she gasped in surprise, black ooze now filling up her lungs. She was about to die. She coughed over and over, attempting to get the goop out. But it was too late. However, just she was about to accept defeat, she woke up.

"Star!" yelled the same voice in a more annoyed tone. It was in fact Eclipsa, just as Star had begun to expect. Thank corn. All of that was just a dream. "Ah! Thank goodness you are finally awake! I was beginning to think you were dead already!" Eclipsa said with a chuckle. Star did not find it nearly as funny. "Regardless, honey, you are expecting a call rather soon. I wouldn't want you to miss it."

"A call? Who would possibly want to call m…." Star began to say, before she was interrupted by her own ringtone. How could the woman have known she was about to get a call? She shrugged and pressed the "accept call" button, holding the phone up to her ear. "Marco?"

"Star! I'm so glad you answered! Are you ok? Where are you? Has she hurt you?" Marco quickly questioned, concern flowing out of his mouth like a waterfall.

"Yes, an old cabin shack, and well sorta." Star responded, counting on her fingers as she answered each question. "Wait how do you know that who took me is a she? And why are you calling anyway? I can handle myself!" she continued, suddenly overcome with anger.

"Star, no, calm down! I know you don't like it when I try to help you, but this time it's really important!" Marco responded, worried that she may not listen to him through her rage. "Eclipsa is planning to kill you, Star. We just want you safe."

Star suddenly snapped out of her irrational anger, her mind finding something different to focus on. However, she forced herself to respond to her worried friend, stuttering with fear the whole way through. "H..how do you know that?"

"She told us. She says if we don't hand over the kingdom to her, she will kill you! You know we can't let that happen, Star." Marco muttered, tears building up in his eyes as he spoke. "She told us that if we came to the forest tomorrow at dawn, we could get you back. Stay safe Star, I'll see you again soon."

"Marco wai…!" But it was already too late. The line was dead. Star glanced over to her captor, that sickly grin still plastered across her wicked face. She was about to get exactly what she wanted. If Star had only been more watchful, this never would have happened. Marco and her mom would still be safe. And she wouldn't be about to die. Laying back down on the cold, solid concrete, Star prayed that tomorrow would be the last day of this seemingly endless torture.


	5. Starnapped: Chapter 5 - The Showdown

**Starnapped: Chapter 5 - The Showdown**

Tears leaked from the boy's eyes as he closed the lid of phone, immediately feeling guilty for worrying her. " _I'll see you soon, Star."_ He had to keep reminding himself that he couldn't call her back, couldn't try to reassure her. He had worse things than her feelings to worry about right now.

"You heard the woman, Marco. We must be in the forest by dawn. The time right now is 11:00 p.m, so we have about seven hours. Normally I would suggest that we rest first, but there is no time. Now are you with me, or are you staying?" asked Moon, her confident voice still riddled with hints of sadness. No wonder Mewnie was so safe and well organized under her rule.

"Of course I am with you… my queen. Star is my best friend, and I'm not ready to have her die on me. If anything, I was supposed to die protecting her, and not the other way around. It's my fault for not watching out for her more, and now it's my job to fix it." Marco responded, temporarily letting the fear leave him in order to address the Queen. He was afraid that if he acted emotionally unstable, he would not be allowed to come. He promised Star that he would be there. And he couldn't stand to let her down again.

"In that case, pack a bag. We must travel light and fast. The Forest of Certain Death is a dangerous place, regardless of your skill in combat." the queen warned, turning around swiftly after she finished her remark. She had been through the forest many times before, and she knew certain parts like the back of her hand. But sadly, she also knew that the forest was an enormous place, and that it was likely that wherever her daughter was, she was not close to the entrance. Knowing Eclipsa, Moon would have to assume she had brought Star to the dead center of the dark and mysterious wood.

Marco did not need much. He went back to his own room in the Butterfly castle and flew open his closet. Inside hung a collection of twelve of his finest hoodies, and various pairs of jeans. Marco placed Star's headband on the bed next to him as he got dressed in his normal attire, throwing his pajamas to the side. There was no time for a clothes piles. He grabbed a small brush from his bedside table and ran it through his messy mane of a hairdo a few times over. After he had finished, he placed the headband back on his head and stuffed his phone in his sweatshirt pocket. He was ready.

The Queen did not need many supplies either. Directly after leaving her daughter's room, she ran to a chamber close to her bedroom in order to grab her battle armor. Slipping the metal dress over her body, Moon then continued to tie her blue tinted locks into a long braid, keeping it out of her way for the time being. Now that she was suited up, there was only one thing left to pack. Moon rushed to her bedroom and glanced at her daily royal attire. A tear came to her eye as she grabbed the crown from the mannikin and placed it in her otherwise empty bag. " _I'll get you back, Star, and I'll do whatever it takes."_

By the time Moon reached the bottom of the curved staircase, Marco was already there, clicking his heels together and twiddling his thumbs. He was still very shocked at what he was about to do, but he would do anything if it meant bringing Star back to him. For the good of all of Mewnie and Earth, it was his job to ensure her safety. Feeling no need for words, Moon waved her arm in a "let's go" motion as she walked towards the front entrance, Marco following closely behind.

It took about twenty minutes to reach the forest entrance from the castle, and it was just as spooky as Marco last remembered. The sign revealing the name looked as if the wording was written with blood, or at least blood colored paint. The trees throughout the seen wood looked jagged and dead, even though the season was still mid-summer. The plants at first glance looked rather pretty, but from experience Marco knew that looks were deceiving once he entered that line of trees. With a small gulp,the terrified teen continued on his way into the dark unknown.

Moon lead the way throughout the expedition, slicing through vines and branches with the use of her razor-sharp "magic hand". Marco followed her close behind, his hoodie getting slight rips as he passed by the razor sharp thorns on the bushes nearest to him. Luckily though, the cuts did not reach his skin. The Queen was sadly in much worse shape.

After hours of cutting through the vines using only her arms, Moon's magic was beginning to slowly fade. In fact, as she sliced on, a sharp pain came to the areas covered by her gloves, causing her to wince in shock and pain. She knew the cause for the sudden suffering, but decided to deny it for as long as she possibly could. She pushed through, trying to hold on for the sake of Marco's sanity. For the sake of her daughter's life. Sadly, despite Moon's efforts to ignore the pain, it kept getting worse and worse, until Moon could not longer take the agony. She looked back to Marco, tears threatening to flow from her eyes. Seeing the fear through her confident facade, Marco firmly stated "We better set up camp," as he wandered off in search of firewood. Moon, with an annoyed expression, nodded her head in agreement, as she went to sit on a nearby log. Eclipsa must be close.

Star trembled as she shut her phone, her mind still lingering on the words that had come from her friend just moments before. " _Eclipsa is planning to kill you, Star. We just want you safe."_ The sentences repeated in her mind over and over, until she could barely take it anymore. " _She LIED to me._ I have no intentions of hurting you _, she said. Since when does someone die without getting hurt? I'll show her who can kill."_ Anger continued to build up inside of her, causing her to slowly ascend into the air. Instead of her usual gold or blue glow, Star began to emit pure red light, the light reflecting her mood upon her fows.

However, despite the chaos, Eclipsa continued to stare. Stare at the now levitating princess, that ghastly, evil grin still covering her face. With a snap of her fingers, Eclipsa had risen up into the air to be level with Star, purple light emitting from every possible angle. "Is that the best you can do, Butterfly? I could do better than that before I turned ten years old." teased the queen, clearly trying to bring out the anger brewing inside of her prisoner. She knew better than anyone that nobody was at their best when they were distracted.

That sentence was the last straw. Star shot up into the air, sprouting extra arms as she rose. The transformation was happening. She closed her eyes, allowing her body to further develope into her true Butterfly form. By the end, she looked nearly identical to how she did during the fight with Toffee, instead this time, she was red. The anger building up inside of her finally released itself, the emotion piercing through the remaining innocence like daggers through a thin sheet. Star was ready to tango.

"You think you are so special, with your little "Mewberty wings". I think you forgot, you are not the only one in the Butterfly lineage." Eclipsa spat, clearly getting annoyed at Star's persistence. The woman then shot up into the air, sprouting her own limbs and wings. The two Butterflys were now far above the shack where Star had been held captive, their wings keeping them afloat barely above the jagged treeline. Far into the distance, Marco and Moon gawked in awe, praying for a positive outcome.

Star's anger had reached a peak. She thought about her family. Her friends. And all the ways Eclipsa had harmed them over the past few days. Now was the time to end the suffering. Star closed her eyes, attempting to focus all her pains together into a concentrated blast. She had done it before. She could do it again.

However, just as Star was about to release her built up energy, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Opening her eyes, she could see she was plummeting towards the ground, a purple beam propelling her forward. Using all the strength left inside of her, Star pushed against the blast, forcing herself back into the sky. She wasn't giving up that easily. A smirk came to the face of the princess, it's evil intent almost matching her opponent. "So you wanna play that way, huh? Then let's dance, granny."

Just a moment passed until Star had disappeared, blasting herself straight into the sky. Eclipsa wouldn't even know what hit her. Sadly though, much to Star's dismay, the woman had predicted her opponent's next move nearly perfectly, casting a ward in front of her to protect her from the incoming blast. However, Star had planned ahead as well. Soon after spotting the shield in front of her, she redirected her spell slightly upwards, causing the blast to land right on top of the purple Butterfly.

Eclipsa screamed in agony, but quickly came to her senses just before she reached the ground. Anger was slowly starting to build up inside her as well, turning her aura into a different shade of purple. But regardless of her physical state, the queen had had enough. Star had had her fun, and now it was her turn to tango.

Eclipsa closed her eyes and breathed deeply, preparing herself for what was next. She began to wave her six arms in a mysterious motion, waving them from side to side in unison. Star paused her rampage for a moment to watch, amazed at the smooth movements of her ancestor. The whispering came soon after, causing the aura around her to turn from red, to indigo, to black. She finally opened her eyes, the orbs now only the purest black. Suddenly, the movement stopped. The aura around Star had returned to blue, her mind now instead flooding with confusion and curiosity. It was only then when she started to realise the effects of the spell.

The moon was slowly starting to change color, the shade getting darker by the second. The normal pale white glow turned to grey. Then brown. Then finally black, leaving Star the only light in the sky. Moments passed where nothing happened, everyone holding their breaths, waiting for a finale. Star's own light began to diminish, fear consuming her previous confidence. Star began to shiver, her short sleeve dress providing her with no warmth through the chill of the lightless sky.

Suddenly, she heard a snap. A blast of violet light shot from the moon, hitting Star directly in the chest. She screamed out in agony, the strong light inflicting the feeling of burning upon the princess. The aura around the shooting Star quickly flickered from red to green to blue until finally… black. She had reached the ground, her eyes barely able to stay open from the pain. A laugh was heard in the distance as Eclipsa approached. Star tried to yell at her to stop, but her throat burned as her attempted to speak, tears escaping her eyes from the pain.

The woman was directly above Star now, she grimace shining through the inky landscape. She got onto her knees and lightly padded the head of the suffering teen. "Goodnight, princess." And with that, Star was out cold. Eclipsa had finally won. For now.


	6. Starnapped: Chapter 6 - The Aftermath

Tears began to fall from Marco's eyes as he watched Star fall to the ground, her wonderful glow fading fast. " _Was she going to be ok? How did Eclipsa do that? Was Star_ _ **dead**_ _?"_ Marco was in a state of panic, and Moon was not much better. Her hands trembled with shock, feeling as if this entire ordeal was her fault. She was the reason that Eclipsa was free in the first place. Moon prayed that her daughter was still alive, that she was still safe. Although the sky was dark, Star's defeat was in plain view, her bright glow highlighting the tragic events as they occurred.

Moon was brought out from her grief with a sharp pain in her wrists. The suffering had returned. Moon attempted to endure the agony, but failed miserably, collapsing onto the ground. Marco heard the whimper of the woman as she hit the forest floor, causing him to snap out of his own guilt. "Queen, are you alright? What is wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?" Moon now saw why Star liked this boy in the first place.

"Well, at the moment I am fine, thank you. But the pain, it's just so…" she was interrupted by another burst of anguish, causing her to scream in agony, gripping her wrist. It was blatantly obvious the Queen was not fine.

Marco reached over to Moon's arm gently and pulled away her hand, revealing a slightly violet glow emitting from her glove. Suddenly flooded with curiosity, he pulled the glove back, only to be petrified with fear. The area previously concealed by the glove was covered in pulsing purple veins, emitting the same light he had seen before. Glancing over at the other arm, he now noticed the same veins climbing up her arm. Seeing the horror on his face, Moon placed her gloved hand on Marco's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Through gritted teeth, Moon said a single word. "Eclipsa."

Marco's face suddenly turned to confusion. How did she have to do with any of this? How could she cause such pain in the Queen of Mewni? Moon began to study his expression once again, and propped herself back up against the log so she could explain. "Well Marco, as you may or may not know, Eclipsa was captured in crystal 300 years ago by Romulus, because he believed she was evil. She then sat in that crystal undisturbed until more close to present day, when I was a child. "

Marco, trying to immerse into the story, sat down on the log next to the Queen, observing her arm as she continued. "I lost my mother when I was quite young, around Star's age actually. This obviously made me queen at that age as well." The mention of her mother was causing Moon to tear up, but she forced herself to continue. "At the time of my rule, a war had broken out between the Mewmans and the Monsters. More specifically, the Lizards." Just the mention of that name sent shivers down her spine, memories popping up of the day her daughter nearly died at the hands of their general. But she needed to continue her tale.

"Everybody wanted me to make all these big decisions, and I was just a kid! I needed to decide between signing a peace treaty, and waging a war. And Glossaryc was no help, he was still grieving. I knew what I had to do, but I needed some help first. So I decided to go to Eclipsa for guidance." Marco had been taking a sip from the flask of water he had brought with him, but when he heard that name he spit out the contents he was drinking in shock. "Eclipsa? But she's evil! Surely you knew that, even I know that, and I'm not even from Mewni!"

"Yes Marco, I know, but hear me out. I told Romulus to unfreeze her so I could learn a spell from her "Forbidden Chapter". I would have asked Glossaryc, but he was so distraught about my mother, I couldn't get anything out of him! Therefore, I made a deal with the woman. She would teach me the spell so I could kill their general, and she would get her freedom. I know, I was stupid to accept, but I had no choice. So I shook her hand and the pact was made. I then used the spell to intimidate the monsters out of our land, but to my own cost. Eclipsa's dark magic had corrupted me." Moon finished, gesturing to her veins as she ended her story.

"So these weird, purple veins are magical corruption?" Marco asked, suddenly retracting from the arm in fear. He was not ready to be corrupted.

"Well, yes. After I casted the spell upon the Lizard's general, these veins appeared on my arms and haven't left since. I think you may better know him as Toffee."

Just the mention of that name brought back terrible memories. Memories of kidnapping, mind control, destruction, and most of all, death. That ghastly creature had almost killed his best friend, and even after he has finally dead, Marco was not ready to forget his grudge. Toffee deserved more punishment for his actions, even if Star had killed him with the use of her own magic. Nobody was allowed to hurt Star when he was there, or any time in between. Which was why the idea of Eclipsa hurting the Queen just made him even more angry. Realising the silence, Marco remarked through gritted teeth, "Yeah, I remember him."

"Well, because of the pact I made with Eclipsa in my youth, upon Toffee's death she was released. And I believe you know what happened from there."

Marco nodded, remembering the task at hand. They needed to find Star. Time was running out fast. "So what does all of this have to do with Star? Why now?"

"Well, throughout this adventure of ours, I have been trying to figure that out. I believe I finally have an answer. Here, watch the shade of my veins very closely." Moon stated, standing up and twirling her arms around slowly in sync. As she moved her arms around, the light began to dim and brighten, each direction causing a new result. Moon smiled as Marco watched in awe, trying to figure out the pattern.

"Now Marco, I have a hunch. What if the light is like a compass, and the shade is like a game of "hot-and-cold"? Pointing north, the light is dull, west, slightly brighter. Southwest, it gets brighter still, and it peaks at southeast, shining brightly like a star. I believe that these shining veins will lead us right to the source. What do you think?" Moon suggested, rather proud of her theory.

Marco's eyes lit up with excitement. "The theory seems rather smart indeed. In any other occasion, I would say to look for more evidence. But at the moment, I'm desperate, and I know you are too. Now let's follow your glowing arms back to Star!" And with that, Moon stomped out the fire and begin to lead the trek through the wood once again.

Star moaned in pain, every muscle and bone aching from earlier in the night. Eclipsa had beaten her, and had beaten her bad. Her body screamed in protest as she sat up, eager to observe her surroundings. All around her stood the same wooden walls of her captor's shack, with a now fixed roof and flooring. The shack was certainly nothing special, but anything was better than the dark and ominous landscape of the outdoors.

"I see you are awake. That's good. You took quite a beating earlier." spoke a familiar voice, its source suddenly appearing behind her. She was getting better at making her magic more quiet.

"I know I stand no chance at fighting you, I know that now. But please, tell me why you want our kingdom. If you are going to kill me at least tell me the truth." It pained Star to say that, but it was all true. Star was too weak to fight, so she may as well get some information out of her before she… died.

"Are you Butterflys really that clueless these days? You think I can wake up from a crystal after 300 years, and just forget about my old life? Everything I missed? But after all, I'm just an evil queen, a villain, with no feelings. Right?" Eclipsa spat, tears beginning to form in her violet eyes. "I miss my husband."

Star couldn't help but feel bad for the woman. Nobody deserved to have that happen to them, no matter how evil. She had been torn straight out of her life without an explanation, and was called names in her absence and replaced. Monster lover. Evil queen. Wicked. A disgrace. Eclipsa didn't deserve to have that happen to her. Maybe she did have a good reason to hate the royals.

"I feel your pain, sorta. People reject me for how I am too. I'm just too reckless, and emotionally driven. Nobody wants to have to deal with that. So they tossed me off to another dimension, just to get me out of their poofy, royal hair. It may not be crystal, but it sure was isolation." Star gingerly explained, attempting to sympathize with the now weeping queen.

"I used to be more like you you know. I was reckless, but respectful. Determined , but kind. But my entire life ended after I met that monster. I fell in love, but everyone else developed hatred. Towards me and my husband. They called me a disgrace. A joke. A curse on the family name. My kindness turned to hate, my respect to disdain. So I wrote my spells. Wrote my pains and anguish into hate-filled sorcery. No wonder I was considered evil. They turned me to darkness." she finally finished her story, tears leaking from her eyes.

Maybe Eclipsa wasn't so bad after all.


	7. Starnapped: Chapter 7 - The Arrival

This time Marco walked along side his queen, slicing apart any vines or sticks that stood in his way. He was determined to find Star again, whether if it was to save her or to die trying. Thoughts flew by in his brain, himself taking note to dismiss those involving negativity. If he was going to take this rescue mission seriously, he needed to stay focused on the task at hand, not what could happen eventually. Moon's veins lit the way through the night, the moon still having not recovered from Eclipsa's "lunar eclipse". Everything was more extreme on Mewnie.

Moon's own mind was clouded with her own woes, the pain caused by her arms only becoming more extreme. Every once in awhile she would stop to cast a spell on herself to ease the suffering, but the relief was only temporary. The closer she got to Eclipsa, the closer she got to her daughter, the more pain she suffered. But Moon must learn to endure. She had been through worse before. Her emotional pains were more severe than her physical ones could ever be, which is what kept her marching through the night. They couldn't be too far off now.

The two seemed to work surprisingly well together, beating down monsters and wildlife like a true team. Just like Star and Marco used to back on Earth. Just the thought of those times brought a smile to his face, followed by a tear. There was no chance of any of that happening again if he couldn't make it to Star in time. Now curious, Marco pulled out his phone to glance at the time. 4:49 am. Oh god, dawn was in less than an hour!

Shoving his phone back into his pocket, Marco suddenly stopped, causing Moon to bump into his back. He turned around slowly, fear plastered across his face. "Queen, it's nearly dawn! We have to hurry!" Forgetting all about the veins spread across her arm, Marco grabbed the queen's hand, causing her to scream in agony. Marco was now once again flooded with emotions, but this time it was mainly guilt.

"Queen… Moon. I'm so sorry, I just lost control cause I'm afraid I'm gonna lose Star and I love Star cause she's my best friend and my roommate and I don't want to lose he…" Marco's babbling was silenced by the queen putting a single finger to his lips in an attempt to shush him.

"Marco dear, it's ok. I'm worried too. But don't worry, my arms are glowing even brighter than they were before, which means we must be close. We are going to make it to her in time Marco, just trust me." Marco nodded his head in agreement, causing Moon to retract her finger back to her side. "In that case, let's keep going. We don't have much time."

The pursuit had now turned from a walk to a jog, ducking under wildlife and running past monsters instead of their normal routine. Moon's arms were now completely glowly a dark shade of purple, now not just limited to the veins. It couldn't be long now. The exhaustion coming over the two was simply pushed away, denied a place in their already crowded minds. And finally, after ducking under countless tree roots and dodging various mewni mantraps, the duo found what they were looking for.

Tucked beneath a willow tree, almost hidden from sight, sat a small shack. The shack appeared to be made out of mainly wood, most likely oak. The windows scattered around the walls of the structure did not reveal much, but the voices heard were undeniable. "Okay, dearest, talk over. Back to your cage." The sentence was followed by a brief scream, undeniably Star's, and then silence. Terribly, awful silence.

The two turned to each other, their expressions unreadable. Fear, sadness, anguish, disgust, signs of all emotions seemed to riddle their faces in some capacity at that moment, their brains not being able to comprehend what was about to happen. Taking a deep breath, Marco stepped towards the door and began to turn the knob. This ends now.

Tears leaked from the dark queen's eyes like water coming from a faucet. Star knew she shouldn't be feeling what she was, but she couldn't help it. Star certainly had empathy. She wasn't heartless. "Granny, don't cry. Maybe your husband is still alive? Out there somewhere, waiting for you. I know if I had someone like that, they would wait for me for as long as possible. I mean, I don't have someone like that, but you get my point. The closest I have to somebody like that is…" Star was stopped by a sudden rush of emotion, memories flooding back as if her last dam of strength had finally broken. "...Marco."

Star suddenly began to let loose her own woes, her face beginning to stain itself with tears. She missed the people she had left behind. All of them must be so worried about her. Sometimes she wished she didn't have such caring friends. Her life was nothing compared to theirs combined together. She would rather never see Marco again then to see him in danger. Especially if it was when he was trying to bring her back.

Star was brought out of her thoughts by a sudden burst of warmth. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was in her ancestor's embrace, the two sharing their sorrows through their connection. They each had their own worries, their own problems. Maybe they weren't so different after all. Star returned the embrace, burying her face into the woman's shoulder. It felt nice to feel something other than pain.

Only a few more moments passed before Star pulled herself away, her mind being brought back to reality. "You know Eclipsa, maybe you aren't so bad." she said with a smile, the tear marks disappearing under the light of her hearts.

"And you don't seem to be like the other Butterflys, Star. You actually took the time to get to know me, and I appreciate that. Thank you." Eclipsa muttered, happy for the first time in 300 years.

"Understanding won't change anything though, and you should know that better than anyone. You have done some terrible things, whether they were by your own accord or not, and no amount of understanding can change that." Star stated, regaining her confidence from before the battle.

"Oh trust me deary, I know. But now it's time to cut to the chase. Join me." the violet tinted woman spoke, putting out her hand as if reaching for a handshake that didn't exist. "We could rule Mewni together! We are both misunderstood, abused, thrown aside. The time has come to rebel!"

"Are you joking? I have friends granny! Unlike you, I haven't been frozen in crystal for 300 years. I have made relationships here, relationships I don't want to lose because I joined forces with a lunatic!"

The Queen retracted her hand in shock, seeming to genuinely be hurt by that statement. Eclipsa thought she had succeeded in her recruitment process, but it seemed like she was wrong. She finally realised there was only one way to control a butterfly. Cut off her wings. Eclipsa closed her eyes with a smile, realising what she must do. She rose both of her arms into the air, causing Star to rise up with them. In her mind's eye, she could see that the blonde's face was petrified with fear, but Eclipsa no longer cared about her feelings. She just needed to get the job done.

Opening up her eyes, Eclipsa revealed the black sockets that had replaced them. A moment passed where the woman just stood there, muttering a phrase to herself over and over. Like a weak chant. "Ok dearest, talk over. Back to your cage." Suddenly, the woman snapped her fingers together in unison, and then the real magic began.

Star screamed as she saw streams of pink come from her own body into the sockets of her captor, each stream making her feel weaker and weaker. She only became more terrified as she looked down at the hearts on her cheeks, the color slowly draining out into a pale grey. Her magic was fading. And there was nothing she could do about it. But then, as quickly as it had started, the spell was over, the remaining magic now sucked out. A smile came to the Dark Queen's face as she casted a simple spell to trap the now dry husk of a princess. The deed was done. Now the only thing left was to wait.

Just as she had predicted, moments later the knob on her shack begin to twist, signifying her visitors' arrival. The time that she had been waiting for had finally come. This ends now.


	8. Starnapped: Chapter 8 - The Verdict

Gaining a sudden burst of confidence, Marco broke through the doorway, Moon not too far behind. He looked desperately around the room, searching for any sort of sign of his missing friend. The first thing he saw was Eclipsa herself, which by itself was not terrifying. It was what was behind her that drained all hope from his already damaged heart.

In a slumped sitting position layed Star Butterfly, her beautiful blonde hair shining against the Dark Queen's wicked purple glow. Her once pink hearts were drained of all color, replaced instead with broken, grey lumps. Tear marks stained her face, as if she had been crying for hours on end. But the thing that brought Marco's heart to a near breaking point was the look on her face, a look of pure terror and sadness. He imagined the things that could have possibly invoked that fear into her, each thought sinking his hopes lower and lower into the ground.

Moments before Marco had been ready to fight the woman, fight for his bestie's freedom. But now he was just as useless as her. Powerless and drained. And Moon was not much different. Upon walking in the doorway, Moon saw her daughter slumped over and seemingly lifeless. She felt powerless. If the woman could turn her reckless little princess into a powerless husk, then she could do even worse to her.

"Hello Moon, hello Marco. How nice of you to stop by. I just got Star here into bed." at that she stepped aside and gestured towards the sleeping princess. Seeing the opening, Marco sprinted in the direction of her body, hoping to reach her before Eclipsa would stop him dead in his tracks. "Now now Marco, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Ignoring her warnings, Marco continued, only to be suddenly hit straight on by an invisible material. Now seeing stars, the boy propped himself up on his elbow, his head spinning with questions. Regaining his senses quickly, he pushed his free hand in front of him, resting it on a flat surface. Clear glass.

"I warned you boy. Now look what you did, you woke up little Star." Surely enough, as Marco turned his attention back towards the glass, he saw the fainted princess begin to flutter open her wonderful blue eyes. Marco's own face lit up with joy, happy that Star was ok, or at least conscience. He began to bang on the glass, desperate to see her in her normal state once again. Each hit seemed to wake her up more and more, until she was awake enough to be able to observe her surroundings. Still wobbly, Star used the wall as a support to stand up, still being too weak to stand on her own. As she looked in front of her at the desperate boy, her mind suddenly filled with confusion. "Maa...arco?"

Before he could respond, Eclipsa interrupted him with a sharp blast to the stomach, pinning him against the wall. Upon impact with the hardwood paneling, Marco groaned with pain, now temporarily immobilized. Forced to watch the situation unfold, Star jumped up in surprise, almost hitting her head on the top of the compact box. She began to bang on the glass, yelling in protest, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. The glass prevented any noise from getting through, but the look in her eyes said it all. " _Not again not again not again! Leave him alone! Take me instead! Pleease…"_

Studying the look on her daughter's face, Moon sprinting towards her opponent, fueled by anger and a thirst for vengeance. A smirk appeared on the kidnapper's face as Moon approached, simply snapping her fingers in response. Suddenly, only inches from Eclipsa's face, Moon collapsed onto the ground, screaming in agony. The veins on both of her arms climbed slowly up to her elbows, glowing brighter and brighter as they approached her neck. Each inch grown felt as if her very skin was being burned, replaced by the violet strings.

"Now Moon, I think now would be the perfect time to discuss our deal." Eclipsa remarked, her voice as calm as ever. She would do anything it took in order to get want she wanted.

"Ne...ver." stuttered the damaged queen, her voice sounding weak and defeated.

"What a shame. I was starting to take a liking to your daughter. Oh well." Eclipsa shrugged as she flipped up her hand, causing a panel to raise on Star's glass prison. Star herself was standing against the far wall, too scared to try and run. "Well Star deary, it's been nice talking with you. I'll see you in hell."

At that Eclipsa shot a concentrated beam of magic at the princess, the blast hitting her directly in her chest. Not wanting to show weakness, Star stood her ground, attempting to endure her pain. "Bring it on grandma." she spat, her eyes showing only pure determination. She wasn't ready to die yet.

Annoyed at the child's impossible endurance, the sorceress shot yet another beam of light, this time the beam tinted with not only purple, but also a hint of pink. She was attempting to use Star's own magic against her. Luckily Star managed to dodge this time, ducking under the impact zone just in time. This trend continued many more times, Eclipsa becoming more and more annoyed at every passing moment. In the meantime Moon and Marco watched in awe, amazed at Star's fantastic reflexes despite her condition.

However, after a steady minute of badly aimed blasts, things began to turn for the worst. Star's reactions were becoming slower, her exhaustion starting to catch up with her constant movement. Eclipsa, however, was quite the opposite. The woman began to laugh hysterically, her annoyance turning her to madness. Her voice became more and more demonic as time went on, until her once calm and collected tone was more of a grumble. Suddenly, she began to rise slowly from the ground, all color draining from her eyes.

"Enough fun and games Butterfly. Goodbye." Star closed her eyes and braced herself as the beam of ink shot fast towards her face, the princess now repeating in her head " _I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead._ " Yet, when the time came for the blast to hit her, only a slight bump came to her leg. Confused, Star opened up her eyes, only to be terrified by what she saw.

In front of her laid Marco, a visible hole in his otherwise perfect sweatshirt. He must have jumped in front of her to absorb the blast. Eclipsa herself gasped, causing her to drop to the ground. Moon turned her head towards the glass, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Star dropped to her knees and grabbed Marco's skull, shaking it wildly. "He can't be dead, he can't be dead!" she yelled, forgetting all about keeping her thoughts to herself.

Just as tears threatened to leak from her glistening eyes, her mind was overtaken by yet another emotion: anger. She stood back up from her kneeling position, stepping around her savior to approach her opponent. She may not have magic, but she was not useless. Eclipsa herself saw the eyes of the princess, ablaze with resentment, and backed up against the wall of the small building. Nothing was more terrifying than someone who had lost everything.

"I think our last fight was rather unfair, Dark Queen of Mewnie." Star mocked, a smile now across her own face. She had lost her marbles. "How about a rematch, granny. Just you, me, and my warrior training." Without waiting for an answer, she charged at Eclipsa, screaming a loud battle cry. Regaining her confidence, the queen shot out a violet blast from her hand, Star barely dodging it with a spin. As the princess reached her foe, she slid down onto the ground, attempting to kick out the legs of the evil mistress. In retaliation, the woman shot a blast from her hand, the beam barely brushing against the top of Star's head. A close call. Smiling at her luck, she bounced back up from her position and kicked the back of the woman's leg with her boot, causing her to squeal with surprise.

This trend continued for a while longer, Star dodging each attack shot at her by a mere inch. She was beginning to weaken the sorceress with her attacks, each chop or punch causing her to wince in pain. After yet another minute Eclipsa was on her knees, Star still eager to finish her off. However, as all this unfolded, Eclipsa smiled internally, knowing that in reality everything was going to plan. It made her giggle how that little twerp ever thought she could truly beat somebody like her with some simple kicks. She had even perfectly predicted what was about to happen next.

Star laughed as she jumped on top of her foe, ready to finish her off. Just as she was about to secure her hands around the woman's neck, she heard a small croak behind her. Star instantly snapped out of her madness and looked over to the source of the noise. "St...ar. D...o..n't. Do i...t." stuttered Marco, his aches and pains preventing him from speaking in full. The princess was instantly overtaken by guilt, her morals kicking in. She couldn't kill!

However, as Star stood still pondering her thoughts, Eclipsa was already five steps ahead. Regaining her senses, she slipped out from under the child's grasp and pinned her to the ground, her own eyes like hollows of madness. "Foolish girl. I guess this is the end for you." Star shivered in fear as she watched her captor charge up her deadly spell, the light slowly building up in her free hand. Marco yelled in protest and tried to get up to help, but his damaged body prevented him from doing so, leaving him helplessly sprawled out on the ground. Suddenly though, just as Star prepared herself for death, Moon called out, "Stop!"

Her legs still wobbly, Moon stood up and walked towards the pair on the ground, opening up her bag as she did so. From there she pulled out the crown and threw it onto the floor, her eyes now glistening with tears. "If it means my daughter stays safe, take the crown. Treat my kingdom well."

Satisfied at her accomplishment, Eclipsa got up from the ground, leaving a petrified Star laying on the floor. Marco's mouth gaped in shock, his mind attempting to comprehend the event that was unfolding. The new queen scooped up the crown and placed it upon her hat, centering it perfectly. "In that case, I'll bid you three adieu. Good day." And at that, Eclipsa snapped her fingers and disappeared, leaving the trio alone in the rundown shack to ponder what they could possibly do next.


	9. Starnapped: Chapter 9 - Rich Imagination

After the feeling of shock had finally passed, the exhaustion and pains returned. Marco slumped back onto the ground, moaning in pain. It felt as it there was a burning hole straight through his chest, even if the blast hadn't actually reached his skin. The adrenaline from the fight finally wearing off, Star laid down next to the boy, every inch of her body seeming to have some sort of bruise. However, despite the severity of the teen's injuries, nobody was worse than Moon.

The retired queen was on her knees, her eyes glistening with tears as she glanced down at her arms. Although the growing had temporarily stopped, the violet strings had already reached the tops of her elbows, turning her light skin tone into a purple tinted mess. She wouldn't have minded the appearance if it wasn't for the extreme pain the makeover caused. Each passing moment felt like agony, each movement like torture. If it wasn't for her daughter and husband, she would have accepted death right then and there. Only then could she finally have relief.

Feeling the need to take action, Star propped herself up, her injuries seeming to be slightly less severe despite the events. Suddenly, the memory of pink popped back into her head, filling her with distress. Did she have her magic back? She pulled out her phone and flipped it open, using the glass screen as a mirror. Star let out a sigh of relief when she saw that her hearts were back to their normal state, or at least more normal than they had been. The color itself had returned and the hearts were repaired, but the color scheme was certainly not ordinary. One side of each heart was a light violet while the other was normal rose, as if someone had taken a sword and sliced the pattern down the middle.

Questions flowed through Star's mind, each one seeking an answer. _Why was it purple? Could she still do magic? Was she corrupted?_ That last question burned in her conscience, repeating itself over and over in her brain. However, wanting to relax for the first time in days, Star forcibly pushed the thought to the back of her mind, locking it in an imaginary brain closet. She had had enough stress for one day.

Glancing around the room, she saw the others, disabled from their injuries. Guilt immediately came over her like a tidal wave, washing out all her other emotions for the time being. Star looked beside her to her wand, and then back to her mother. With a sigh, she picked it up, digging through her memories of the spell book in order to find a pain relief spell. Something to pay them back for what they had done for her.

Star began to pace around the room, muttering words to herself. There had to be something to help them! Bone healing spell? Maybe. Teleportation? Unless she could get them to a hospital. Pigtails? No, no, not now. She continued to dig further and further into her mind, losing hope after each moment had passed. After sifting through another mental chapter, Star gave up. Seemed like she would have to make her own spell.

The princess plopped herself down onto the floor, putting her imagination to work. She always would remember how to create a normal spell, but she had never created something like this before. But she would definitely at least have to try. Just the thought of making another spell for the new spell book made her pulse with excitement, but she knew in order to fix her injured comrades, she had to act fast. Calming herself down, Star began to focus.

Step one, coming up with a name for the spell. This would of course be based off of what the spell was meant to achieve after casting. A narwhal blast shot narwhals, warnicorn stampede stampeded the enemy. This unnamed spell would be used for healing those who are injured. She needed the spell to act quickly, almost instantaneous. Instant Remedial Blast? It would have to do.

Step two involved creating a collection of movements that would bring forth the spell. Taking a deep breath, Star slowly rose from her sitting position, she aches causing her to groan in the process. Shaking it off, Star began her act. She starting to tap her head for ideas, drawing the attention of her injured kith and kin. Smiling at her audience, Star began to spin in a circle, noting the action in her head. She then stuck out her arm and moved it to the right, left, and then up. Satisfied with her combination, Star then decided that she would put her spell to the test.

Pointing at the broken ceiling, Star performed her action combination and called out a now familiar phrase. "Instant Remedial Blast!" The three watched in awe as the ceiling repaired itself, each piece floating back up to it's proper place as if they had a mind of their own. As the last piece settled into place, the light around the hole faded, as if the magic had never even happened.

Amazed at her own results, Star jumped up for joy, squealing with excitement. Perhaps the violet color wasn't so bad after all. It seemed to make her magic stronger, more accurate. Seemingly more experienced. Brushing off the thought, Star turned to her awaiting patients, searching for emotion in their faces. Both seemed to be noticeably impressed, which only made Star more happy.

The next few minutes were spent casting the spell on her injured rescuers, each cast making her feel more confident. After the incantation, Marco could no longer feel the burning sensation and was mostly free from his scratches and bruises. Moon's veins had slightly receded and the pain had diminished to a mere sting. Star, now exhausted, laid herself down next to Marco, resting her head on his leg. At least it wasn't concrete.

However, as she drifted off into her slumber, she couldn't help but feel that something was off about her magic. Whenever she casted a spell, a voice from the back of her mind would tell her to stop, stop before it was too late. The warnings worried Star greatly, but she could not bring herself to ask her mother about it just yet. The woman had had a stressful night, possibly even more so than Star herself. She then agreed with herself that Moon certainly deserved a break. Sighing to herself one last time, Star finally let exhaustion overtake her, sending her off into a dreamless sleep.

Eclipsa snapped her fingers to disappear from the rickety old shack, and had reappeared at the front entrance to the Butterfly castle. A smile plastered across her pale skinned face, she approached the doors, only to be swiftly stopped by the royal guards. They put up their lances in an "X" shape, a simple sign telling anyone that they were not permitted to step through. The woman giggled at their reaction, simply flicking her wrist in response. The old queen continued her stride through the castle grounds as the guards flew off into the air, screaming in distress, never to be seen again.

She continued her act through each line of royal defenses, turning the ordeal into some sort of sick game. At each guard, she would alternate hands, sometimes even using different spells to get them out of her way. Through all the violence, the woman kept that sickly grin across her face, as if she was completely oblivious to the possible consequences of her actions.

Soon after tossing the last set of guards into the moat, Eclipsa politely knocked on the door. She may have been evil, but she was certainly not rude. Afterall, she was queen again, she had to learn her etiquette. However, the door offered no response. Getting slightly annoyed, she knocked again, louder this time. Five minutes passed, and still nothing. Ten minutes, not a sound.

Tired of waiting for someone to come to her aid, she made a small gesture with her hand, swirling it in a circle before pointing towards the floor a few feet to her right. With a short "pop" sound, there stood River, the present king of Mewnie. His mouth stood wide open, as if he had been giving a lecture just moments before. The man blinked in surprise, trying to comprehend the reason for the sudden set change. It was only then when he realised his summoner.

"Hello there River. I know we have not met in person, but I certainly do know all about you. After all, how could I not know the old king of Mewnie." Eclipsa mocked, sounding as if she was simply making a joke with her statement.

"Well, I have two responses to that. First of all, who are you and why are you at my castle! Second of all, what do you mean "old king"! Star hasn't become queen yet, and even if she had, she doesn't even have a boyfriend much less a husband." River stated blatantly, seeming to rather relieved that Star's love life was at a stand still. "Wait, why am I telling you this? What happened to my guards!"

Eclipsa giggled at his panic, preparing herself for a long winded explanation. "First of all, that was more than two responses. As for your other questions, I will answer all of them in time. I, myself, am the one that you most likely know as Eclipsa, Queen of Darkness. Nice to meet you. You have a very beautiful daughter." At that Eclipsa stuck out her hand, as if reaching for a handshake. Being suddenly terrified, River retracted his hand back to his side in shock, leaving Eclipsa's hand floating in the dead space between them.

"How do you know about my daughter! You have been frozen for 300 years, and plus, even if you hadn't she was taken mere days ago! There was no way you could hav…" the man stopped himself, realising that he just revealed the general whereabouts of his daughter to an evil sorceress. Not wanting to mess the situation up further, River zipped his lips and listened to the rest of what the woman had to say.

"Not one for handshakes are we. What a shame." at that she put her hand back to her side, clearing her throat as she did so. There was still a lot more to go. "To answer that question, I'll ask you another question. Who was the one who stole your daughter in the first place? Who was the one that your wife ran after? Who was the one who nearly put your daughter and her friend to death?" The questions bounced around in the king's skull, each one searching every possible memory for an answer. It was as if his brain was a library, and each question served as a separate assignment. One by one the answers came in, each one making him more and more terrified of the woman before him. Eclipsa. Eclipsa. Eclipsa. Looking back at the woman, River backed up against the castle doors, petrified with fear.

"In that case, I believe you get my point. You see this crown?" she asked calmly, pointing towards the jewels atop her hat. "It was given to me willingly by your wife not too long ago. That therefore makes me queen. I suggest you go inside right now and pack up your belongings. And that is an order."

Scrambling for words to gather his emotions, River simply nodded his head, opening up the door for the new ruler of Mewnie. Where would he stay? Was his family safe? Was Mewnie in jeopardy? Questions continued to flow through his brain as he fumbled up the stairs, his mouth still gaping in shock. Each step he took brought a greater smile to the royal's face, each step seeming to signify his surrender to her rule. It seemed as if only one phrase was appropriate for the occasion, a phrase she had waited for centuries, just to have it apply.

"Hail to the Queen, the ruler of Darkness."


	10. Starnapped: Chapter 10 - Cleaved

Star awoke with a start, a sharp pain in the back of her head forcing her out of her slumber. The girl sat up from her position and stretched, her back feeling stiff from all the nights she had spent on the floor. Turning to her left, and then to her right, her comrades appeared to be still asleep, which was good. They needed the rest. Overpowering her grogginess, the princess stood up, ready to begin her day.

As much as she wanted to forget about the events of the last few days, it felt as if the memories had been branded into her mind, forever lingering to taunt and torture her beyond belief. Sighing with defeat, Star took one last glance at her sleeping rescuers before stepping outside into the dark wilderness. However, before she could step away, she heard a small rustle from inside the building. Twisting around quickly, she scanned the room, only to find nothing but her sleeping comrades sprawled across the floor. With a smile on her face, Star gently closed the door, unaware that she was being watched.

She was not exactly sure where she was going. She just needed to go away. Gather her thoughts. Hone her skills. She would get back at Eclipsa for what she had done. Or die trying. In her head, she tried to imagine a vague map of the forest, some sort of guide. In her earlier days, Star visited the forest almost daily, fighting monsters and exploring the vast wood. But even from those memories, everything seemed to look the same. Each direction only bore more trees, each patch thicker than the last. It was official. She was lost.

In any normal situation, she would panic. Think about how she may never see her friends and family again. But this time it was different. Star was on a mission to stop the queen, and if that mission became a suicide mission, so be it. At least she would die fighting for her leadership. As each thought flowed slowly through her mind, she began to realise a pattern. It almost seemed as if she was starting to sound like her mother.

Just the thought of it shocked the rebellious teen: how could she, Star Butterfly, be starting to act like her boring, old mom? She had accepted at this point in her life that she never wanted to grow up, always wanted to stay just as she was. But it seemed like her mind was taking her a different route. A detour to her desires. However as she began to try harder and harder to push the thoughts out of her mind, they only seemed to cement themselves in deeper, sealing the maturity into her conscience.

Star dipped her head down in defeat, a sigh escaping her mouth. " _I suppose there is no way of escaping my future. No matter how hard I want to."_ the princess thought to herself, memories of her past flickering by as if it was an old film. At least the process was slow. For the time being, she was still just normal, young, rebellious Star Butterfly. The one who was rejected, the one who was sent away. At least she would be remembered as the Queen who pulled through. Dragged on through her hardships, saved some friends along the way. Maybe being royalty wasn't so bad afterall.

Just as Star reached her conclusion, a light rustle was heard in the bushes. Snapping out her thoughts quickly, she turned around slowly, careful not to make a sound. She was certain she was being followed. It felt as if a single pair of eyes was watching from the underbrush, studying her every move. And she didn't like it one bit. Loudly clearing her throat to grab the creature's attention, she finally broke the silence. "Whoever, or whatever you are, step out from the shadows in the next ten seconds I'll blast your face off. And I won't hesitate."

She spoke with an amount of confidence in her voice that could not possibly be fake. The determination overflowing her mind had engulfed her humanity, her morals, replacing each with a lack of reasoning and a need for revenge. "Ten." Silence. "Nine." "Eight." Star was beginning to have doubts. She thought they would have definitely surrendered by now. However, despite her empathy, she was also starting to lose patience. "Seven six five four three two one! Say goodbye, stranger." Suddenly, as Star began to summon a rocket launcher around her wand, a voice came from the shadows.

"Star! Please, wait. It's me." Star knew that voice anywhere. Her face suddenly drooped, her eyes began to water. She had been ready to kill her best friend. Through a wobbly and uncertain voice, Star whispered, "Marco?" Before she could continue, he walked out of the shadows, his chocolate colored hair shining in the pale moonlight. His sweatshirt was torn up from the fight and his jeans had suffered many rips. Marco had gotten hurt, almost killed, because of Star.

At that Star finally broke, her eyes finally giving way to tears. In silence she sat flat on the ground, hugging her knees for warmth. "I'm. So. Sorry." gasped Star through breaks of tears, burying her face into her dress. She even made him get up from his rest. Just for her. Just the thought of all the things he had sacrificed over the last few days only made her feel more guilty, causing her to shiver from not only cold, but sadness.

However, before Star could say anything more, she was surprised by a sudden yet gentle burst of warmth. Opening up her eyes slightly, she saw only red, and immediately realised the situation. Without thinking any further, she wrapped her arms around the caring latino, accepting his kind embrace. "Star, don't feel bad. Whether you want it or not, I will always be here to help out. No matter what it takes."

The kind words brought only more tears to the girl's eyes, now burying her face into the shoulder of her best friend. It felt nice to be with someone who could understand. Tilting her face up slightly, Star prepared her own sentence in her head. "I know, Marco. That's what best friend's do, they look out for each other. So, thank you. I wouldn't be here without you. Literally. I'd be dead." For some reason, that last time made Marco snort, which in turn made Star break out into laughter. The boy joined her, the two breaking apart to fall onto their backs. They missed the good old days, when events like this would happen every day. Sadly, though those days were in the past. And right now was the closest they were going to get.

"So are you coming with me or not? Why are you out here anyways?" Marco asked, his giggling finally subsiding.

The comment suddenly snapped Star out of her own enjoyment and slammed her back into reality. Sadness overtook her as she sighed, preparing herself for her friend's reaction to her decision. "Marco, I'm sorry. I really am. But, I'm not going back to that cabin. I'm going after Eclipsa to earn back my kingdom or die trying. Tell mom I love her, and you too. I'll see you in heaven, mess up twin."

Soon after, the girl vanished, whispering a spell to herself until she finally disappeared, leaving a distressed Marco alone in the dark forest. Losing all control of his legs, the boy fell to his knees, his emotions running through him like a hurricane. Anger, sadness, understanding, guilt. Each sorrow bringing him farther and farther into depression. And then, on the floor of the Forbidden Forest, Marco finally couldn't take it anymore. For the first time since Star had been found, Marco cried. It seemed as if he had finally broken.

River paced around the room in his tallest tower, concerns filling up his conscience. Where was he supposed to go? Where was his family? What about Eclipsa? What would she do to the people of Mewnie? What did she have in mind? Each thought overlapped the last, clouding his mind from all reason. However, his insanity was interrupted by the booming voice of the Dark Queen herself, echoing across the rooftops and into the streets.

"People of Mewnie. I'm afraid I have some bad news. No longer will you bow down to the one known as Moon, but now the one known as me. Eclipsa Butterfly, rightful queen of Mewnie. Your precious royal family has been taken care of accordingly, so do not expect to see them any time soon. Do not refuse my leadership, or you will be punished. Just like all the guards I killed to get to you. Hail to me, Queen of both Mewman and Monster." At that the woman walked away from the balcony, leaving the townsfolk shocked below, and River in denial above. So that's where all the guards went.

Ducking back into the open window, River sat down against the wall. He needed to come up with a plan. Some sort of way to resist the rule of darkness. He would need to gather a group of talented dimensional warriors. Perhaps a few demons or pixies. Obviously the Mewmans below would join forces, they seemed just as distressed if not more than River himself. When word of Mewnie's takeover passed through the dimensional rift, perhaps other cross-dimensional creatures would join in the fight. A war was about to break out on the grounds of Mewnie, one against millions. And River needed an army. He needed a revolution.

Slowly walking back towards the archway into the castle, a smirk appeared across the queen's face. The deed had been done. She had struck fear into the hearts of the masses, and fear was the best way to manipulate and force to obey. Eclipsa was happy with her results, deciding that that was enough ruling for one day. Clicking her heels against the solid stone, she made her way towards the royal bedroom. It felt nice to be back where she belonged.

Her reign as queen began at a young age and ended not too long after, the public becoming scared of her and her newest husband. They had shunned her, pushed her away. Each word stung more than the last, but the young queen had refused to accept it at the time, blocking out the comments like a victim to a bully. The memories came back clearly now, the thoughts causing the smile to be ripped off of her fair skinned face.

Soon after she had remarried to her monster husband, the public became afraid. He was too dangerous, they said, he would kill them all, they said. The shunning continued until she finally couldn't take it anymore, writing her sorrows into the royal spellbook. With help from Glossaryc himself, she channeled her emotions, concentrating them all into powerful spells of dark magic and despair. Soon after writing her last spell, her most powerful one yet, Eclipsa had been put on the watchlist by the High Commission, each member observing her from different angles. The constant stalking finally ended when she was caught casting a spell of her's, which got her imprisoned for hundreds of years. And here she was now, trying to continue life from where she had left off.

After recapping her last time as queen, Eclipsa thoroughly understood what she must do. But it must wait until the morn, when her magic and muscles were well rested and her subjects had had a night to ponder. However, as she walked over to the mirror to hang her hat, she noticed something rather peculiar.

The right side of her spade cheeks was rose while the other side was its normal violet. The woman blinked a few times, believing her eyes were playing tricks on her. However, as she continued to blink over and over again, the result stayed the same, filling the queen with worry. She knew exactly what the color change meant, which only made her more afraid. Earlier in the night, Eclipsa had sucked out the magic essence of the helpless princess, her screams during the process filling her with pride. It seemed as if in the process of transferring the magic back to the underling, she had also transferred some of her own magic. Eclipsa gulped, thinking of the now possibly endless outcomes of their next battle. But it was only then when the woman saw the light, or rather the darkness, in the situation at hand.

With dark magic came corruption, and with weakness came manipulation. Eclipsa could finally get what she wanted. The only true way to kill a Butterfly. To have one turn against another. The evil mistress became to giggle at the thought, the chuckle eventually turning into full on laughter. She now had the princess of Mewnie at her fingertips. Everything was going according to plan.


	11. Starnapped: Chapter 11 - The Plans

Marco kneeled on the soft ground of the forest floor, tears leaking from his coffee colored eyes. He had let her slip away again. And this time it might be for good. Guilt flooded through him like a waterfall, all his emotions pouring out at once. Why didn't he talk her out of it when he still had the chance? She could be dead soon, and it would be all his fault. Again. He had let her slip out of his grasp, and in return for his carelessness, he got a heartfelt speech and an announcement of possible suicide.

Marco thought of the Mewmans, River, but especially Moon. How would she react to hearing that her daughter had gone missing again? Angry? Sad? Scared? Marco didn't know her well enough to predict. With a sigh of defeat, Marco laid himself onto the floor, closing his eyes in order to think. He wasn't achieving anything useful here by moping in the grass. He needed to take action. He had a plan in mind, but first, he had something important to do. The boy dug through the pocket of his sweatshirt for his scissors, pulling them out only moments later. With a deep breath, Marco spoke to the air before opening up a dimensional rift. "Take me to Moon."

The teen reappeared back in the cabin where he had started at, right where he intended to end up. He seemed to be getting better with his accuracy. Glancing around the room, he was relieved to find that Moon was still sound asleep, undisturbed by earlier's shenanigans. At least he wouldn't have to talk to her face to face. Marco suddenly stopped his scan of the room to focus on a small star purse on the floor where Star had been not too long ago. With a worried sigh, the latino stepped towards the purse, unzipping the top until it opened completely. Out he pulled a small notebook and pencil. Why they were in there, Marco was not completely sure, but it worked for his purposes, so that was all the mattered. Closing his eyes to begin his focus, the boy began preparing his words in his head.

"Dear Moon,

I apologize I can not tell you this in person, but I will be leaving to retrieve and protect your daughter. She ran off to try and defeat Eclipsa by herself, and even she agrees it could possibly turn into a suicide mission. I make it my sole voe to protect Star at all costs, no matter what it takes. Do not try to follow me, you are in too weak of a state. Goodbye for now, my Queen.

Sincerely,

Marco Diaz"

The letter ended up being short, but concise, which was all that Marco needed. He felt bad for leaving at such short notice, but he had no choice. He needed to get back to Star before something horrible happened. Or maybe even… she would die. The boy shivered at the thought, trying to push it out of his mind. If he was to try and protect, he couldn't have the negative outcomes on his mind. He needed to be constantly focused. For her sake.

Taking yet another deep breath, Marco prepared his thoughts in his brain. In order to use the dimensional scissors, the user needed to think about where they were going. Yet another thing in Marco's life that required focus. Taking a deep breath, Marco stated yet another phrase. "Take me to Star. For her safety, and my sanity." And at that he was gone from sight, stepping into the untracked lands of the dimension of Mewnie.

As Star reappeared in the general area of the castle, she broke out into tears. She had left her best friend in ruins, all because of her. He was probably so worried… so scared for her safety. Like she was for his. She knew with all her heart that Marco would try to come after her, regardless on if she objected or not. After all, that was what friends did. However, she knew that she would have to fight till her last breath to protect him, and if she died in the process, so be it.

Refocusing her mind, the princess turned back towards the castle, a dark purple aura seeming to emit from it. If she was to accomplish her mission, she needed to push her emotions to the side. Or at least for now. Her hair blowing in wind, the warrior began her journey towards the enormous, towering castle.

The terrain surrounding the royal grounds was surprisingly rugged, as if something had ripped the earth from the ground itself. Brushing off the thought, Star continued, her mind clouded with determination. Through the windows of the keep, Star spotted the hat of her captor on the dresser of the royal bedroom, which only continued to make her blood boil. She needed to get this over with quickly. For the sake of her kingdom, and her sanity.

Moments passed as Star continued her trek, each one being used to formulate her plan. Ever since her fight with the ghastly lizard, the princess had started to plan out her attacks. Even if the mission did end with death, at least she would be able to say she gave it her all. Her plan consisted of the following:

Star was to go into the castle, alone, to track down her evil grandmother. Then she would cast a spell at her in an attempt to kill her with one blow. After that failed, she really wasn't sure. Her lack of confidence made Star shiver, but she couldn't give up weight of all of Mewnie and other dimensions as a whole were on her shoulders, and she did not like the feeling.

The emotional anchor was hurting her progress, so much so that she could feel the tears slowly coming back in her , just as she was about to let out her sorrows, the sound of a dimensional rift opening and closing came from directly behind her. However, when Star finally brought herself to turn around, there was nothing but a bush rustling slightly to her right. She considered searching the shrub, but pushed off the thought quickly, letting her emotions come pouring back in. She needed some time to herself.

Moon awoke from her slumber with a start, the pain from her arms suddenly spiking. Groaning with pain, she propped herself up, leaning on her arms. Looking to her left, and then to her right, she realized that both Star and Marco had left the cabin. "They must have gone for a morning walk together." she thought to herself, a smile coming to her face as she imagined it. The former queen was certainly happy that Star had Marco to protect her through all of her shenanigans. Skeeves couldn't have chosen a better family.

However, Moon was pulled out of her happy thoughts by a crinkle to her left. Glancing over, Moon discovered a small notebook in the shape of a star. Curiosity suddenly flooding her mind, the woman grabbed the notebook and flipped it open, quickly realizing it was her daughter's. After flipping through a couple of pages, the handwriting suddenly changed from messy to very neat, which brought her curiosity to a peak. She quickly used the glow from her arm to better read the text, only to be terrified by what she saw.

The note stated that her daughter was in grave danger, and that Marco had left the safety of the cabin to rescue her. As sweet as the gesture was, it was also very stupid. Eclipsa was one of the strongest women to ever exist, with her magical skill at its peak. If Star could barely hold her own against her, an Earthling like Marco stood no chance! Worry suddenly clouded her mind, blocking out the pain from her pulsing veins. Now it was her turn to be the savior.

Moon hastily picked herself up, thoughts gathering her thoughts. In order to complete her plan, she would first need her own pair of scissors. Luckily, she knew just where to get them. Grabbing the purse and hoisting it over her shoulder, Moon then began her march out of the cabin and into the unknown.

The Forest of Certain Death may seem scary at first glance, but after a while, it became quite boring. Each tree looking nearly identical and the deadly plants were easily avoidable. Moon was able to navigate the forest with ease, determination fueling her every move. She had only been to this place once, so it was rather surprising that the former queen seemed to know the general direction of the hut. The woman was starting to finally thank her daughter for bringing her here in the first place.

After hours of travel, Moon finally arrived. The shack resembled a squash, with the same density as a giant hollow stump. The outside was sparsely decorated with circular windows, each with wooden boards dangling from the bottom. With a deep breath and a few more steps, Moon reached the wooden door and knocked.

Only a moment passed until the door had been opened, a dark, looming monster standing to the doorway. However, instead of being afraid, the queen stuck out her hand. "Hello again, Buff Frog." Instead of accepting the simple handshake, the frog instead pulled the woman into a tight hug, which she gladly accepted.

"Queen Moon! Welcome back to my home! How can I help you?" the father spoke, cheeriness filling his voice.

"I'm afraid I have some terrible news. May I come inside?" The smile suddenly vanished from his face, instead replaced with concern. Nodding his head, Moon followed the frog back into his home.

The inside of the hut was just as Moon remembered it: cozy and wet. But there was no time to admire the scenery. Now was a time to talk business. "Buff Frog, Star is in grave danger. I'm afraid it's.. Eclipsa."

Just the sound of the name sent shivers down the man's spine, the mention bringing back bad memories. He knew of the queen's magic, knew of its power. The sheer thought that his little sweet potato was in danger because of her only made him more scared. However, despite his thoughts, he kept his mouth shut, waiting for whatever was next.

"Marco went after her to protect her, but I fear that he may not be strong enough to get the job done. Therefore, I have decided to go myself. I make this choice because as her mother, it is my job to ensure her safety. And I will continue to do my job until the day I die. Any questions?"

The frog cleared his throat before speaking, being slightly intimidated by the woman's confidence. "Moon, do you have plan? I know about her magic, and I also know her magic is stronger than even yours, especially when you are in this state. Are you sure that you want to go through with this?" he asked, worry and fear filling his face.

"I have never been so sure about anything in my entire life. Now, where are your dimensional scissors. I can't save my daughter of I am bogged down by travel time." At that Buff Frog wandered off into another room, only to return moments later, scissors in hand.

"Please, be careful."

Moon grabbed the scissors from his outstretched hand and tore yet another hole in the dimensional rift. "I'll be as careful as I can be. Thank you." And at that, the queen stepped through her portal, into the vast unknown.


	12. Starnapped: Chapter 12 - Corruption

Each step Star took, Marco mimicked, silently creeping in the underbrush. After a while the tears stopped falling from the blonde's eyes, instead replaced with a look of determination. Her light steps began to increase in pace as she gained ground on the towering keep, the sky getting darker by the second. The time was approaching dawn, but the shadow of the enormous castle prevented the light from getting through. Using her wand as a light, the girl continued, the boy following closely behind.

The two were horrified to find that the gates had been left unguarded, which would have never happened under the rule of the Butterflys. Eclipsa may be a Butterfly by blood, but by way of values could not be farther from the lineage. Shrugging off the feeling of uncertainty, the duo crept silently through the doorway, careful not to make a sound. If they were caught, there was no way of telling what would happen to them. Slave labor, torture, or even death. It was impossible to predict the true motives of a woman who most knew nothing about.

Around each corner the amount of cover decreased, causing Marco to shiver with fear. What would Star feel when she found him? Anger? Relief? Her face was nearly impossible to read. Gulping with fear, the boy crept closer to his friend, preparing himself for her response. It would be better if he revealed himself on his own terms. Gathering up all his courage, he tapped her on her right shoulder, causing her to jump with surprise. The girl whipped around, her hair nearly slapping Marco across the face. She had gone into a battle stance, assuming her stalker must simply a monster or corrupted guard. However, her face was flooded with relief as she met the boy's gaze, a nervous smile across his face.

"Oh thank corn, it's just you Marco. In any normal situation, I would be angry right now. But this isn't normal, so just follow me. You seem to be pretty good at that." at that the princess turned back around, rushing to western wall, gesturing for Marco to follow. Her actual response to his presence filled him with relief as he slowly approached the blonde's position, a stupid grin plastered across his face.

Inside the walls of palace there was an extreme lack of guards, which could mean one of two things. Eclipsa had either positioned them all in the room where she laid, or she had killed every last one. Exchanging a glance of terror, the two shrugged off the thought, feeling the need to maintain their focus. If they were to take down the queen once and for all, then the last thing they needed was to be distracted by other matters.

The interior resembled a labyrinth, each corner seeming to be a wrong turn. However, Star started to get closer and closer to her target, a voice in the back of her mind seemed to be motivate her, pushing her in the right direction. It seemed to repeat over and over again, "ballroom. Ballroom." Why that room had any significance to her quest, she had no idea. But a strange urge pushed her to follow the voice, continuously wandering through the unknown, untracked passageways.

The air seemed to become cooler as they approached the center, causing both teens to shiver. The light around them began to dim, the color now slightly tinted violet. They must be getting close. Star prepared her battle plan in her head, repeating it over and over again in her mind. There was no possible way to mess this up now. And now the stakes were even higher now with Marco at her side, her vow protecting him from harm. She had no idea what she would do if he was harmed, or even worse, killed. She wouldn't even be able to live with herself.

The girl was quickly snapped out of her thoughts by a sharp pain in the back of her head. Refocusing her vision, she realised that she had collapsed onto the ground before her, Marco reaching his hand towards her. Something was wrong. Grabbing the brunette's outstretched hand, she propped herself up, shaking off the ominous feeling in her bones. Moving forward a few more steps, Star turned a corner, only to be awestruck by what she saw.

In front of her was a massive room with towering marble pillars on each side. The center was a large circle, the line of it seeming to be divots in the floor. Pulling her eyes away from the room she had somehow never seen before, she instead focused on the main attraction. Sitting cross-legged in the center of the room sat the queen herself, slightly levitating above the ground. A dark purple aura emitted from her, coming from each end of her body. She appeared to be doing a mumbled chant, as if she was trying to summon something. However, just as Star began her stride towards her, the woman landed on her feet and opened her eyes, them burning a light purple. She had known that Star would come.

"Hello there deary. How nice of you to stop by. I see you brought your boyfriend here. Not that it matters anyway. He would be devastated either way, regardless of seeing it first hand or the aftermath." the woman spoke softly, each word rolling off her tongue as if she had rehearsed them for decades.

"See what?" Star stuttered, her emotions flooding with fear. Marco stared in horror as the queen rose up into the air slowly, her arms raising up with her. Watching the faces of the ones below, the woman began to giggle, the giggle eventually evolving into a full on cackle. When the sorceress had finally reached her peak, she finally responded. "Your destruction of course my dear."

At that the woman restarted her chant, but instead this time it was more demonic and quick. Moments passed as Star stood and watched the woman with horror, petrified from fear. It was only as the last few words left the woman's mouth that Star regained her senses, dodging the beam just in time. The princess blasted herself straight into the air, transforming into her Butterfly Form on the spot. Golden light shown from the body of the floating monarch, the pale color clashing with the darkness of the woman before her. The two glared at each other, maintaining a fighting stance. It was time to finish this.

The warnicorn neighed in the night as the former queen rode, each gallop making her bounce upon its back. She had appeared just outside of her Butterfly Castle, yelling and screaming being heard from inside the walls. The sound began to flood her with fear, but the thought was quickly pushed away as she refocused her thoughts. She needed to focus. The sky above her showed that it was nearly dawn. She was running out of time.

The woman began to slow her stride as she approached, knowing a general layout of her former home like the back of her hand. At the snap of her fingers, her steed disappeared, letting out a small whinny in protest before complete silence. From this point forward, this was a journey she needed to make alone. By this point Moon's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, her surroundings now able to be vaguely seen. The hills surrounding the area of the castle were rather rugged and unkempt, the streets of the slums not helping in the slightest. The road was crowded and squished, carts and sleeping citizens causing the usually wide and open road to become rather slim. In her head, Moon made a mental note to deal with the quality of life here once her current problem was resolved.

After spending a short amount of time observing her surroundings, Moon arrived at the doors and found them to already be wide open. It seems that her daughter had beat her here.

The thought only increased her worry as she navigated the confusing interior, each corner bringing a new concern. Was she harmed? Where was Eclipsa? Was she… dead? The last question sent shivers down she spine, the thought lingering no matter how hard she tried to push it away. She supposed only time could give her the answers.

To be completely honest, Moon had no idea where she was going. She knew the layout of the castle, but not where the action was taking place. At this point she was following her instinct, and her instinct told her that a battle was about to take place in the ballroom. This "instinct" came from a distant voice in the woman's mind, a voice with no sort of correlation to anyone or anything she had heard before. Shrugging off the thought, she decided to trust the ominous advice, realising that without it, she would truly be lost.

The air started to become more dense, the shade of the environment violet. She must be getting close. Taking a deep breath, the former queen turning her final corner, only to be petrified by the acts being performed before her. Her daughter hovering above the ground high into the air, level with the Queen of Darkness. Each had a look of fierceness in their eyes as they glared at one another, their wings slowly flapping to keep them afloat.

In the meanwhile Marco gaped at the sight before him, not even noticing Moon's presence. Taking advantage, Moon started to consider joining the fight herself, but as she attempted to summon her wings, the sharp pain to her wrists returned, her own magic overpowering her daughter's. The sudden anguish caused the woman to fall to the ground in pain, drawing the attention of the teens above. It was only then, when the battle truly began.

As soon as Star turned her attention to her injured mother, a blast of dark magic hit her directly in the side, hitting her out of the sky. Attention turned back towards the sky as she fell, the beam propelling her towards the ground. Marco screamed as she approached the ground, worry overflowing his mind. However, just before the shooting star could crash land, a bright beam of light shot directly through the attack, dissolving the color into small particles until it eventually turned to nothing. A smile now upon her face, the girl shot herself back into the sky, spinning as she did so. From the spin shot a series of lasers, many hitting the dark woman floating before her, her mouth gaping in awe.

The princess's skill had most certainly improved since their last encounter, but Eclipsa was not ready to give in to her magic just yet. Shaking her head back and forth to clear her mind, the woman began to wave her hands in a mysterious motion, each hand doing something different. By now Star knew what the woman had planned, but she could not help but watch her as her fingers swished side to side, each strengthening the spell appearing before her. By the second a dark purple fist was forming in front of her, the state changing from transparent to fully developed in a matter of seconds. Suddenly, the fist launched itself at the girl's leg, her quickly parrying it with a fist of her own. She wasn't going down that easily.

Now it was Star's turn. Closing her eyes, the blonde began whispering a short spell to herself, summoning an item of her own. In her right hand a handle began to materialize, soon evolving into an enormous longsword. The blade glowed a bright gold, the handle emitting a slight lavender. Proud of her creation, Star smirked as she rose it up into the air, the tip seeming to shine like the sun itself. In response, Eclipsa snapped her fingers, a longsword of her own appearing in her palm. The handle resembled that of an umbrella, the end being curved in a "u" shape. The guard bore an eye, the iris being a mixture of both plum and rose. The blade itself seemed rather normal, the edges glowing various shades of purple and green. The woman rose up her blade to match her opponent, the tip shining against the light of the stars.

Star struck first, meeting her blade with that of her opponent. The queen soon parried the attack by turning her sword vertical, then pushing the sword towards golden monarch as a follow-up. She then pulled back and swung for the blonde's legs, her barely dodging the blow in time. Star tried the same method, but to no avail, Eclipsa predicting her every move. The trend continued for a short time afterwards, each opponent becoming progressively more annoyed as time passed. After the standoff had finally come to a close, the queen had had enough.

Dropping her sword to the ground in front of her, the woman suddenly began to cackle with madness, raising her arms up as if raising the dead. She looked towards the now confused princess, and then at the spectators below. A smirk came across her face as a plan formulated in her head. "If I can't kill you, I'll just have to weaken you. For now. Say goodbye, Marco Diaz."

At that a concentrated blast of black ink shot from her outstretched hands, the light slowly gaining ground on the terrified boy below. Star thought back to the time where Marco had saved her life, a stone absorbing just enough of the blast to ensure his survival. Star did not have such a safety net, but was willing to take the risk if it meant saving his life. After all, she had declared this a suicide mission. However, much to her dismay, by the time she had finalized her decision, it seemed as if it was too late. The beam was only inches from his face, the boy having fallen to the floor, trembling, preparing himself for death. At least he would die a hero.

Star screamed in protest as the blast made contact with a solid surface, her screams soon turning to sobs. Marco opened up his eyes, curious of why the pain he had been anticipating had never came. It was only when he looked farther in front of him that he realised the truth. Curled up into a small ball, coughing wildly, laid Moon Butterfly, a visible hole through the front half of her body. Marco gasped as he ran to her side, tears running from his eyes. His job was to protect the Butterflys, protect Star. And he had failed once again.

Star dropped to the floor softly, her wings retracting. She ran to her mother, tears staining her pale white face. Eclipsa simply landed softly onto the ground to observe, smiling at her achievement. Moon's eyes were slowly fluttering open and closed, blinking at the kind teens before her. Her hands wandered to her chest, finally coming to rest upon the hole now straight through her center. A weak smile came across her face as she observed Marco, safe and patched as ever. "Stay strong, little ones. It was for the best." spoke the woman through fierce coughing fits. The woman was dying, as she knew it very well.

Star glanced her mother in the eyes, tears continuing to stream down her face. "Mommy, no. Not now, not ever! I'm not ready to be queen! I'm not ready for you to be….." Before the girl could finish her sentence, the boy to her left brought her into a tight hug, the girl kindly accepting the offer. The two cried into each other's shoulders, sharing in the guilt. The shooting star rose up her head as she felt a cold hand on her knee, turning to see that it was none other than her mother, a smile across her snow white skin.

"You have always been ready. Now go, finish what I started. I love you Star." At that the woman let her eyelids flutter closed, her arms falling limp to her sides. The one once known as Moon the Undaunted was no more.

Star touched her trembling hand to the neck of her lifeless guide, her skin now cold as ice. The pulse of the woman had now stopped completely, crushing the flimsy hopes of her weakened daughter. Marco attempted to grab her into another embrace, but the girl simply pushed him away gently, wiping the tears from her eyes. Her mother was right. It was time to finish this.

Her heels clicked against the hard stone as she approached her rival, her eyes ablaze with determination. It was time to put this battle to rest, once and for all. She skidded to a halt only inches from the woman's face, keeping a cold hard stare on her target. Lifting up her arms in unison, she slowly rose herself into the air, a bright glow of lime, lavender, gold, and rose mixing together all at once to make her shine like a true star. The color slowly started to drain from her ocean blue eyes as she stopped, preparing herself for the word's of her opponent's destruction.

"From all the good left in my soul, I crush your heart to burning coal. Using the power from each life from which you've taken, I promise to you I am not mistaken. I make this my dying vow, your punishment is imminent, your punishment starts now." Each word caused the queen before her to flinch, the final one bringing her to tears. She cried out in agony, her limbs beginning to feel as if they were burning. She looked towards Star, fear overtaking her confident facade. She began to become transparent, as if she was disappearing into thin air. First her legs, then her torso, everything except for the head itself. Taking one last look at the princess of Mewnie, she saw that she had a blank look on her face, watching as her grandmother faded quickly out of existence. "See you in hell." she spat, the final traces of Eclipsa disappearing into the abyss. And at that, she was gone.

As quickly as the transfer to darkness had begun, the girl snapped out of her trance. The color flowed back into her eyes, gasping as she realised what she had just done. She had banished the most powerful being in the multiverse to another dimension. Her sudden unfocus shot her out of the sky, causing her to plummet towards the ground. But Star had become too tired to resist. Closing her eyes in advance, Star made contact with the marble tiling before her, causing a crater to form in the center of the large Mewman ballroom.

Marco quickly ran to her aid, panting and gasping as he slid down the sides of the great crater. The princess had returned to normal, her casual dress attiring her once again. Touching two fingers to her neck, the boy was relieved to find that her heart was still beating wildly, her skin still warm as ever. She had simply passed out from exhaustion, but was alive as ever. Sighing deeply, the earthly boy removed the tattered devil headband from his own head and placed it back upon the hair of its rightful owner. Things were as they should be. Or as normal as they could be. He glanced over to the deceased royal near to the top of the crater and sighed. She would have to be dealt with later. Marco groaned as he scooped up the limp girl before him, his own injuries suddenly returned. Overpowering the pain, he carried her out of the crater and away from the ghastly room. They were certainly in need of a well deserved rest.

Darkness. All she could see was darkness. The old woman's limbs stung from pain, each inch of her being crying out for help. However, regardless of her aches, Eclipsa continued to smile, her terrified facade being pulled away. Here she could be alone for all eternity, using the solitude to ponder her thoughts. She felt no need to escape, no need to try and stop the spell. After all, each pain upon her right now was well deserved. The spell cast upon her was a simple yet painful spell, a incantation that gave the victim all of the pain that had been inflicted upon one's enemy all at once. For all eternity.

But she could not stay mad at the girl. Regardless of the outcome, regardless of her location, she had truly achieved her goal. The queen had known all along that this would happen, that she would find herself mindlessly floating through the abyss. Star had just walked right into her trap. Without knowing, the princess had become corrupt, embracing the magic that Eclipsa had lended her all that time ago. Even if the consequences were only slight, they certainly existed, which brought a smile to the elder's face. She had never wanted the kingdom. She had never wanted revenge. Just a way to do the job she be destined to do since the day she had been born.

Star Butterfly, the positive light in the darkness of a corrupted government. The one who fought against evil at all costs. Defeated her enemies in one blow. Brought monsters to their knees. Always kept hope, throughout all sorts of hopeless situations. The most powerful being in the multiverse. Had been destined to join her side. Whether if it was by her own accord or not. Or maybe she had failed. Perhaps the Butterfly had only become loyal to the light. But it did not truly matter. She had become stronger, and that was all that mattered. And now, for the first time in centuries, millennia perhaps. Eclipsa was happy.


	13. Starnapped: Chapter 13 - In Memorial

Star flew open her eyes with a start, a sharp pain beginning to form in her cheeks. All around her was only darkness, each turn only providing more confusion. Fear began to build up inside of her as her wandered, not knowing what else to do. " _This couldn't be real. This couldn't be real."_ she told herself continually, desperately trying to convince herself otherwise. She had gone through hell and back these last couple of days, and banishment to a dark void of nothingness was the last thing she needed.

However, as she strode through the abyss, she finally had time to ponder her thoughts. The stress of the situation had damaged her emotions deeply, each battle or event bringing her farther and farther into depression. Over her carelessness, Marco had gotten injured. He had risked his life for her, more than once in fact, and what had she done in return? Fail. Fail in her mission to protect her family, protect her friends. Protect her kingdom. Through all her advantages her had still managed to fail, nearly killing him in the process.

The girl stopped in her tracks as she repeated her last word again in her mind. Kill. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered, remembered the guilt that had overcame her only hours before. Her mother was dead. The queen of Mewnie had been killed before her very eyes, and it was all her fault. She had tried to die, tried to be the one to save him instead. But she was too late. And now she had nobody, her entire family either missing or dead. And none of this would have happened if she hadn't gotten kidnapped in the first place. Collapsing onto her knees, the child curled up into a small ball, tears leaking freely from her eyes. This must be her punishment. A sea of black guilt and sorrow, consuming her more and more by the minute.

Suddenly, a whisper came from behind her. " _Innocent."_ Star propped up her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. She had a kingdom to rule. Her mother was counting on her. Putting her hands against the solid ground before her, she stood up, turning towards the direction of the voice. It was time to get out of here. The voices continued to repeat, getting louder by the second. " _Innocent. "_ The queen quickly came to ignore them, breaking into a brisk jog. The farther she ran the brighter her surroundings seemed to be, relighting the flame of hope inside her soul. She must be getting closer.

The area was now bright enough to see herself, her clothes still tattered from the showdown with her wicked grandmother. Each step became easier, as though she had waded out of the watery ink and onto solid land. In the distance a bright light had appeared, bringing Star's excitement to a peak. The blonde broke into a sprint, approaching the star at a rapid rate. Nearly there now. The item became to reveal itself slowly as Star approached, the discovery filling the hyper teen with rapid confusion.

It appeared to be a small mirror atop a bedside table, the drawer below having a small painting of a butterfly. The table itself was a light pink, the insect a pale violet. Star slowed her stride as she reached it, staring into the blank lense of her reflection. Her hair was up in a large dome, similar to her mother's that she wore around her subjects. Atop her head laid a tiara, the gem being a light blue instead of its usual magenta. She wore a puffy blue dress, similar to the dress she had worn before coming to Earth. However, that was not the most terrifying part of the picture before her. The marks on her cheeks had dimmed in shade, the purple now merging with the rose. Both hearts were now a shade of very light violet, the light magic seeming to be stronger than the latter. "No. No. Nooo." she spoke out loud, responding to the image before her. She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready. And now, as if responding to her sudden rejection, her future changed before her very eyes.

The reflection faltered, now showing another image. Her long blonde locks were tied into a large braid, it thrown over her shoulder and down to her knees. The tiara was still gently placed on her head, but this time it bore a pink gem, tints of plum flowing near to the bottom. Her dress was a light violet, its highlights a slightly darker rose. A pattern was forming. The cheek marks remained the same, but the color shown brighter, as if a lightswitch in her cheeks had been flipped on. This time her future brought a smile to her face, her insecurities melting away. Maybe she could be a rebel princess. A mixture of both dark and light. An ambassador to all sorts of motives, both evil and pure. With a deep sigh, Star turned from the mirror and slumped down, leaning against the small nightstand. Her sigh turning into a large yawn, the girl flickered her eyes closed, quickly descending back into her slumber. It was about time for her to get a long deserved rest.

Marco had not left Star's side since he had brought her to a bed, his mind eagerly waiting for her to wake up. He needed to make sure she was safe and her mind repaired before he went off to find the others. It had been hours since the princess had ended the battle once and for all, banishing Eclipsa to some sort of hell dimension. The thought of his best friend doing something like that to someone sent shivers down his spine, but he then realised that she was in every right to do so. After all, the girl had just lost her mother.

The mention of her mother filled the boy with guilt, remembering that his stupidity had gotten her killed in the first place. Turning towards the sleeping princess he saw that she was shivering, gripping her blanket like her life depended on it. A sad look stretched across his face as he watched her fumble around the bed, tossing and turning as if experiencing a bad dream. Getting up from his seat beside the bed, Marco began to run his hand down her back, rubbing it gently in an attempt to calm her troubled mind.

After around a minute, the kind blonde turned onto her right side, the trembling now stopped. The position brought a smile to his face as he pulled away, gently, careful not to wake her. Sitting back on his seat, his mind began to wander, thoughts now flowing freely through the silence. What was he going to do about River? Unless the townsfolk had found out, Moon was still alive in his eyes. There was no easy way to break the news. But he would have to take it slow regardless. Getting up quietly from his chair, Marco crept slowly out of the bedroom, a smirk across his face as he flicked off the light and closed the door. " _Goodnight my queen."_

Waltzing down the stairs to the landing, Marco strode quietly towards the door. He had a lot of things to accomplish before Star woke up. The landscape outside of the castle was completely unchanged, as if the events of the last couple days had never happened at all. It was only when he arrived at the towns that things began to change. The people of Mewni were running around in panic, seeming to be still traumatized from Eclipsa's chilling speech. Marco gulped as he entered, expecting chaos to only increase as he entered. With a deep breath, he stepped onto the dirt road leading to the slums.

Much to his surprise, silence overcame the crowd as he walked by, the response making him rather uncomfortable. Whispers flowed through the crowd, some of which the boy was able to just make out. " _Is that our king? Isn't that the princess's boyfriend? What is he doing here? Where's Star?"_ Each question made Marco shiver more, the rumors making him afraid for his safety. " _Where did they get that I was dating Star? Song Day? But that was only a crush!"_ The internal turmoil had blocked out his surroundings, nearly causing him to run into one of the surrounding citizens. Snapping back into consciousness, Marco stood up tall and cleared his throat, preparing himself for a speech.

"People of Mewni. Do not fear. As many of you know, I am Marco Diaz of the Earth dimension. I have come to protect your beloved Star Butterfly and her lineage. I have been pronounced a knight, so you will see me a lot around here. However, I come here to give an announcement. Eclipsa is dead. Also…" before he could finish, the crowd broke out into cheering, causing the boy to sigh. He had not finished. They deserved to know the whole story. He yelled into the crowd attempting to shush them, but to no avail, causing him to lower his head in defeat.

However, just as he was about to consider leaving it be for now, a booming voice came from the hoard. "For corn's sake, let the boy speak!" Suddenly, a hole formed in the mass, revealing the small plump form of River Butterfly Johannson. "Now what is it my boy? Where is Moonpie?" The mention of her name formed a lump in his throat, afraid of what the crowd may do to him. Gathering up all of his courage, he decided to tell them the truth.

"River, I'm sorry. I really am. But your wife is dead. She died trying to protect her kingdom, trying to protect me. But she was well avenged. Star killed Eclipsa shortly after with he…" Marco was interrupted again, but this time not by cheers, but by tears. River had skipped past each stage of grief and gone right to acceptance. He showed no signs of anger or denial. Just plain, raw sadness. "I..s that so? Well I guess that makes Star queen. Hail the new queen of Mewni!" regardless of his happy facade, tears continued to drip down his face, his true emotions bleeding from the edges of his mask. "Let us go settle her in." At that the man walked through the crowd and grabbed Marco by the arm, his grip shaky. He let himself be pulled away from the awe stuck crowd, preparing himself to explain the situation to the broken king.

After being dragged farther and farther away from the village, far enough to not be seen by the masses, the man before him broke down. He leaning against a nearby tree, burying his face in his hands. The one he loved, the one he lived for, was gone forever. He turned towards Marco, waterfalls of sadness staining his pale face."What about my daughter. Is she safe?" the man whimpered, desperately looking for comfort in the teen's brown, sorrowful eyes.

"As safe as she can be… my liege. She's asleep upstairs in the castle."

"That's good. Very good. Now where is my… wife." he croaked, attempting to stay strong through his grief. Without saying a word Marco held out his hand to the man, helping him up. The boy then began to walk back towards the castle, ready to weave through the halls like he had done only hours before. River followed closely behind in silence, his mind clouded with grief and relief. At least Star was safe.

The duo shortly reached the ballroom, the area completely destroyed with shattered tiles and columns. However, despite all the wrecked scenery, one being stood out from the rest. Lying peacefully at the top of the crater laid Moon Butterfly, as kind and serene as ever. Her hair ran down to her knees, her battle attire scratched and damaged. River smiled as he approached his wife, kneeling down beside her. A single tear escaped his eye as he gently threw her body over his shoulder, her long locks draping down his body. "Let's go see my daughter."

After a short while of retracing their steps, Marco took the lead to bring them to the room of the queen. When they arrived Star had awoken from her slumber, sitting upright against the backboard of the bed. The smile left her face as she spotted her mother's long hair, immediately remembering what she must do. She gave the duo a nod and got up, gesturing them to meet her down the stairs. A tear left her eye as she followed, grabbing her wand from the nightstand beside her. She repeated the spell in her head over and over, each time only bringing more tears. By the time she reached the landing, River had already laid down the body, centering it in the large room. With a deep sigh, the girl began.

Gentle whispers escaped her mouth, tears falling from her soft eyes. A pale blue urn appeared in front of her, her mother rising up into the air above it. River began to sway his arms in unison with his daughters, Marco soon catching on to the trend. A pale glow began to emit from the former queen, the glow eventually turning to a shining gold star. Slowly yet surely the body began to dissolve, each part turning to ash. A mere moment moment passed before each part of the deceased royal had turned to mere ash, it swirling in a small, slow circle around the urn. All at once the three brought their arms down, causing the ash to fall gently into the urn. With a final whisper, a phrase was engraved in fiery gold on the front face of the pot: Rest in Peace - Moon the Undaunted. The ritual was complete.

Star approached the urn and grabbed it with her palms, a weak grin across her face. She had completed the traditional ritual for the rise of a new queen. Cremation of the old. The girl handed the remains to her father, the same grin across his own face. Marco gave his friend a sad nod as she sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You will make a fine queen, Star. I'm so glad I got to be your friend." Tears of his own left his eyes as he remembered all the wonderful times he had had with his friend. All the times he would be leaving behind moments from now. "You can always come back and visit. Or you could just stay. Who says I don't need a guide?" she remarked softly, her eyes shining in the pale light of the writing. "You know what Star. I think I'd like that." River placed the urn down beside him and brought the teenagers into a large bear hug.

"Welcome to the family, Diaz."


End file.
